Otokage
by writer168
Summary: "He chose your fate. You have to take over his job. His village. His place in the world. This is the life you have to live. So, what do you say? Do you accept the position as Orochimaru's successor?" When Kabuto manages to convince Haruno Sakura to become the Shodai Otokage, she finds out that this might be the best decision she's ever made. (Sequel: "Shinobi")
1. Doorstep

"Are we finished?" Sasuke asked as his cursed form receded back into its mark, "I never thought you'd be one to disappoint me."

Kabuto heard the scene unfold with disinterest. He knew exactly how this would play out, as Orochimaru had engraved this very moment into his mind since the day Sasuke left Konohagakure. Orochimaru would act as the bad guy, pretending to take over Sasuke's body. Inevitably, he would be killed and be absorbed so he would no longer be in the land of the living. Surely there were more details, but he hadn't cared enough to remember them.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Sasuke stepped through.

"... Which one are you?" Kabuto questioned, feigning suspicion.

"Why don't you tell me?"

With an arrogant smirk, Sasuke walked away. Kabuto pushed up his glasses and entered Orochimaru's quarters. He sifted through the debris of battle for a while before finding a preserved hand surrounded by shattered glass. Kabuto slid the ring off its pinky finger and held it up to survey it in the light.

"Dear, dear, Sasuke... What little you know."

::

Haruno Sakura sighed as she sat at the Hokage's desk. It's not like she was complaining or anything like that; it would just be nice if Tsunade would do her work for once. But she had just finished completing three hours worth documents at the hospital only to be dragged into the office to do more paperwork.

She spun around in her chair and gazed over Konoha through the recently polished window. She liked the view from so high up. There was a knock at the door and she spun back around, calling out a soft _'enter'_. Shizune came in and stalled.

"Sakura-chan...? Oh gods, where's Tsunade-sama?"

Sakura shrugged. Shizune heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"I'm really sorry for this, Sakura-chan. You can go home now and I'll drag Tsunade-sama back to work." she said. Sakura gave her a thankful smile and grabbed her coat before leaving the tower. Konoha's streets were peppered with crisp snow that crunched with every step she took. It wasn't completely boring doing her shishou's work as it did educate her in advanced politics, but there were some decisions she wished she could change. It wasn't her place, of course, but it would be nice being the one to make choices for once.

Being Hokage...

Sakura shook her head. What was she thinking? The Hokage title would belong to Naruto one day, not her. Never her. She let out a puff of air and watched it condense in the cold air.

She wished she had worked harder in the past- wished that she was never the team's burden. She wished that she hadn't clung onto Sasuke and neglected her studies until the last moments. In the beginning, before her infatuation at the Academy, her initial goal was amount to something great. To be better than those who bullied her.

She wanted to amount to someone more than who she was now.

 _'But what could I do?'_

As she reached her apartment, she saw a small purple box on her doorstep. No name. No return address. Sakura plucked it from the ground and entered her place, relishing the warm air that crushed against her. After she hung her coat on one of her dining room chairs, she sat down on her couch and opened the box.

"... Oh no."


	2. Sky

"An... Akatsuki ring?"

She took it out of the box and inspected it closely. It had to be. It looked similar to Sasori's- same general shape and design, but with a slate blue colored stone with the kanji for _'sky'_ in the center. Sakura nearly dropped it when it began to glow a faint lavender.

 _'I need to get this to Tsunade-shishou right-'_

 _ **'It was delivered to you, wasn't it? Keep it a while.'**_ **Inner goaded,** _ **'Looking at it alone for a few seconds couldn't hurt, could it?'**_

 _'... A few seconds. That's it.'_

She inspected the ring even closer. The metal was something she'd only seen once or twice in her entire shinobi career. It was the artificial type that acted as a chakra receiver. Sakura was certain that it had something to do with the sealing of the tailed beasts and _should_ have been delivered to Tsunade the minute she realized what it was. Looking back into the box, she saw a folded note and a small scroll.

 _Haruno Sakura-sama,_

 _Isn't it interesting to have received that ring? Such a curious, intriguing, inquisitive thing. Can you recognize to whom it belongs? Please, take a guess- I don't think you'll be wrong. Sasuke has gone, but that was his plan. But for me; I'm here to persuade as much as I can. Haven't you desired to be someone great? Here's you chance, I assure you, it's fate. And please disregard of how this note rhymes. Even_ I _cannot explain his insanity this time._

Sakura didn't quite understand what this was telling her. What she could gather from this was that the Akatsuki ring belonged to Orochimaru, that vile snake, and that Sasuke was gone from his tutelage.

 _ **'Looks like your opportunity has finally come.'**_

 _'What opportunity? This is insuring that this is from an enemy and should be given to Tsunade-shishou. Now.'_

 _ **'You'll regret it if you do.'**_

 _'Regret what?'_

 _ **'Read the postscript.'**_

 _P.S.- The ring goes on your left pinky finger._

No, absolutely not. She wasn't about to do something without knowing the consequences. Who was she kidding? She wasn't about to do something so stupid like putting on something that once belonged to Orochimaru. Sakura set the ring down and picked up the scroll and opened it.

Why did it have to be a summoning scroll?

Sakura dropped the scroll like a hot plate and flipped over her couch as she whipped out a kunai. The smoke soon cleared, revealing a man she had no plan of seeing anytime soon.

"Kabuto." she sneered. He inclined his head.

"Sakura-sama." he replied, bowing deeply in respect. She gave him an uncertain stare and tightened the grip on her weapon. He straightened up not long after and offered her a warm smile, "There's no need to point such an offensive thing at me. I mean you no harm."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

He reflected on her words.

"No. I suppose I wouldn't believe me either. I'm here on one of Orochimaru-sama's last and greatest wishes. Will you allow me to shine light on the situation?" he questioned. Sakura gave him a dubious look before lowering her kunai.

"One wrong move and I'll activate the genjutsu trap in this apartment." she said. Kabuto nodded.

"Of course. Orochimaru-sama knew that one day, Uchiha Sasuke would turn on him and murder him. Inevitably. So he devised a plan. Once he was dead for good, he would entrust everything to a successor of his choosing. I had been the successor previously, but I denied the position. I couldn't see myself in that place of central power." he explained. She eyed him curiously.

"Place of central power?"

"Yes. You see, Orochimaru-sama had a conquest to take over Otogakure and the large, unoccupied land beside it. He sought to create an actual hidden village, not the laboratory and various hideouts the rest of the world believed it to be. Since the other countries didn't care to keep an eye on us, he succeeded in doing so. Missing-nin, past criminals, and people who desired to start over flooded to Otogakure's gates. The village expanded for years and is actually about the same size as Konohagakure no Sato." he continued. Sakura slowly digested the information.

"Why hadn't it drawn attention? If the population flourished as much as it did, surely it would've drawn even the slightest suspicion."

Kabuto shook his head.

"Like I said, the other nations didn't care about us or what we did. We showed no threat, therefore, we weren't regarded as important." he shrugged, "It worked in our favor so we didn't worry. But Hanzaki, leader of the Fuuma Clan, didn't accept Orochimaru-sama's leadership, calling him a corrupt, unjust person. Orochimaru-sama had already seduced his other clansmen with the promise of power, so he harbors a great resentment for someone like him. So, Orochimaru-sama offered him a proposition."

He gestured toward the ring and then to her.

"If he were to find a suitable leader, one that everyone approved of, the Fuuma Clan would be under their direct command. If not, Hanzaki could kill them. I did my research and it seemed that there was only one person that could make such an impact. You. If you accept the position, we'll leave immediately and I'll explain the whole situation to you on our way there. If you deny the position, I will leave and never bother you again."

The answer should have been so simple. The word no should have slipped from her lips like melted butter and she would've activated the genjutsu trap anyways. But she was still, her eyes darting from side to side as she considered her options.

 _ **'Do it.'**_

 _'...'_

 _ **'Oho? No backlash? This must be serious. I'll put in the first vote. Go with him.'**_

 _'... I...'_

"Could you give me some time to think?" she found herself whispering. Kabuto's eyebrows shot up as his jaw slackened. He didn't think she'd actually...

He held down a smile and pushed up his glasses.

"I'll be back in tomorrow at this time for your answer. Until then, Sakura-sama."

And he was gone.

::

Shizune was starting to get worried. Sakura had spent most of the day lost in her own thoughts, not getting much of her paper work done. She took to staring at nothing with unfocused eyes as she twirled a pen in her hand.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

She gave her senpai a weak smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just... there's a lot on my mind." she sighed. Her eyes lit up as Shizune placed a cup of tea and a plate of dango before her.

"To soothe your thoughts."

"Thank you so much, senpai!"

Sakura sank in her chair and took a bite of her sweet treat as Shizune left the office. Inner had been surprisingly quiet the duration of the day, shedding light on how dire her decision was. In the morning, she berated herself for asking for the time to think over her answer. When her thoughts trickled into the afternoon, she found herself believing that Kabuto's offer wasn't so bad after all. At night, she gathered her things from her office and proceeded to leave the hospital.

 _ **'Ah, you're listening to me? What a surprise. I thought you were above that.'**_

Sakura ignored her. In the lobby, she found Shizune filtering through a stack of papers at the front desk.

"I'm heading out, senpai." she said. The older woman raised her head and waved.

"Alright, Sakura-chan. Take care."

Sakura swallowed her guilt and walked out into the snow. Naruto was out somewhere on a mission, as were most of the people she knew. That was one of the downfalls of working at the hospital- not going on as many missions because of the obligations of being a doctor. She squeezed her eyes shut.

 _'I'm sorry, Naruto.'_

 _ **'You don't sound sorry.'**_

She entered her apartment to see Kabuto standing patiently in her living room. He cast her a cursory stare.

"Your answer?"

Sakura took in a deep breath.

"I accept."


	3. A Done Deal

Kabuto's mouth quirked upwards and he extended his hand, offering her the Akatsuki ring. She took it and slowly slipped it on her left pinky finger. The lavender hue suddenly disappeared as an overpowering ripple of chakra washed over her. She knew she couldn't turn back now; the ring was immovable, locked- glued on her finger.

"Shall we head out, Sakura-sama?"

::

" **It's confirmed.** Orochimaru has been killed by Uchiha Sasuke and his ring is no where to be found." Zetsu reported. Pein hummed to himself and gazed out over his city. When Orochimaru was still in his organization, he said that he'd obtain a student. And one day, that student would kill him. Pein paid no mind to it, thinking that it was some offhand comment that wasn't meant to be taken seriously.

Years after his defection, Pein crossed paths with him once more. This time, Orochimaru said that he had a successor that would eventually be attached to the ring he refused to give back.

 _"Before you make any rash decision, I suggest that you think this through. Whoever my successor is must have some worth if they were to take my place, don't you think?"_

Pein agreed with that logic and left Orochimaru alone for the time being. Suddenly, a chakra he'd never felt before coursed through his body. It was gentle and knowing, confidently pulsing through his veins. He froze.

That was certainly not the type of chakra he expected from someone who became Orochimaru's successor.

Konan looked at him with a raised brow.

"Something wrong?" she asked. Pein shook his head and smirked.

"No. I just have a feeling that things are going to get a bit more... interesting."

::

Two days had passed and Kabuto and Sakura were practically in Ta no Kuni. They were resting at a small inn an hour away from the border and were huddled around the fireplace the room had generously offered. Three large maps were strewn across the floor as well as several open books on the history of the country.

"There are several clans that have suffered in the country, more specifically, the Fuuma, the Rinha, and the Shiin. Hanzaki is the leader of the Fuuma and used to carry out rather criminal activities before becoming the temporary leader of Otogakure. Half of his clan, like I had mentioned before, are had been under Orochimaru's leadership. Their clan specializes in using chakra threads and archery. The Rinha are practically extinct. They were fantastic in medical ninjutsu, but I think there is only one of the clansmen left- a kunoichi named Marisu. Then the Shiin... not much could be said about them. They were corrupt and one of their formidable members was Menma. I don't know what's become of him."

Sakura ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair.

"Hm. How well is Hanzaki-san handling the village?" she asked.

"He's... handling it. Nothing is getting improved and nothing is getting worse. Hanzaki is merely a stand-in for the you, the Shodai Otokage." he replied. The title made a shiver run down her spine as she shifted her weight.

 _ **'Shodai Otokage? The minute that heavy name really touches your shoulders, you'll crumble.'**_

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep her anger down.

"How about the village in general? Crime rates, shinobi statistics, state of living?"

"Crime rates are rather high and gangs have started to form in the poorer parts of Otogakure. In general for the shinobi, their stats total mid to upper tens, sometimes low twenties. It's not very impressive. State of living is lower than average since Otogakure hasn't been prospering in recent years. I also have taken the liberty of freeing the prisoners and releasing guards of their duties in all of Orochimaru-sama's hideouts and directing them to the village. You'll have more shinobi, both normal and genetically altered, under your command." he said. Kabuto saw her eyes flash in displeasure at the words _genetically altered._

"I see. First, I think the gangs should be disintegrated as much as possible. Get them to shape up or get out. They're putting others at risk with their criminal activities." she frowned, "Among other things, I suppose the money situation isn't that good either, huh? If there isn't any other way, shinobi should be sent out to collect bounties."

"It's a good course of action." Kabuto agreed, "But you'll only be able to put that plan into play if Hanzaki approves of you assuming leadership."

Sakura leaned back onto her palms and looked up thoughtfully.

"Either way, I don't think I could leave Otogakure alone now. The village is in ruins. Even if he doesn't accept me, I'll do something to help the people." she said. She then looked out the window, missing the surprised glance Kabuto gave her. She stood up and stretched an arm over her head.

"Do you mind if I go out for a bit? I need some air."

"Go ahead, Sakura-sama."

She smiled and left the inn. Sakura walked until she was at the edge of the town, taking refuge on a rock under the leafless trees. Once she knew she was alone, she bit her thumb and sent her hands through a flurry of seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A small version of Katsuyu appeared in the palm of her hand.

"Sakura-chan!" she greeted with soft surprise, "It's been awhile since you've summoned me. Is there something you need?"

Sakura looked nervous for a few seconds before her eyes hardened in determination. Her pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I really am sorry, Katsuyu-sama, but I request that we terminate the summoning contract between us." she said. Katsuyu stiffened, no doubt having believed that she heard the wrong words. Sakura quickly continued, "It's nothing you've done. I just... I'm breaking all ties with Konoha, and that means I must break ties with Tsunade-shi- _Tsunade_ as well."

"... I understand."

A large scroll appeared on the snow and rolled out, showing various names written in blood. Sakura bit her thumb again and crossed out her own name, making it invalid. The scroll poofed out of existence, and Sakura looked down at the slug one last time.

"Thank you for being my summon, Katsuyu-sama."

"It's been a pleasure, Sakura-chan. I wish you luck on whatever you strive to do."

She disappeared as well, leaving the young woman alone in the cold.

::

Tsunade was slightly pleased when Sakura didn't show up for work the first day. She merely assumed that the girl was finally taking that well-deserved break the hospital staff was always bugging her about. On the second day, she was starting to get wary about her absence. Taking a day off was one thing, but two days? Something wasn't right. In the late morning, she sent Shizune to check up on her.

Tsunade didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she couldn't keep the worst case scenarios from running through her head. Then Shizune burst into her office half an hour later, face plastered with panic and a red hitai-ate in her hands.

"S-Sakura-chan's gone! Her apartment's cleaned, her clothes have been cleared out, and all the photos aren't in their frames!"

It sounded like a nightmare.

::

 _ ***There are**_ **NO** _ **OC's in this chapter. All clans and characters mentioned are actually in either the series or the games. Their history, though, may have been altered to fit the story.**_


	4. Selection

_Kabuto took off his glasses and rubbed at his tired eyes. For the past three days, he'd been sorting through name after name and file after file of people how had the credentials of becoming Orochimaru's successor. The credentials were so vague and cryptic (if it were possible) if he was allowed to say anything about it._

 _\- Must be from Konohagakure no Sato_

 _\- Needs a mind sharper than the rest_

 _\- Able to hold the weight of a village on their shoulders_

 _\- Has absolute control of their inner workings_

 _\- Has the capability to defeat a greater enemy_

 _\- Holds the greatest reason for leaving their village_

 _Couldn't Orochimaru be a little more specific? He sighed and looked through the files once again. Must be from Konohagakure no Sato. Kabuto had already set aside the ones who didn't match the required background and was left with a considerable stack of folders. A mind sharper than the rest? Anyone could possibly fit that description. Anyone at all!_

 _He skipped down to the last thing on the list: Holds the greatest reason for leaving the village. That was probably the hardest requirement to meet. Konoha was that type of village who had the most loyal shinobi under a headstrong Hokage. It was rare for someone to defect from Konoha, much less without reason. Kabuto was about to shuffle all the files together and start over from scratch when his eyes landed on Haruno Sakura's file._

 _He slipped on his glasses and pulled her's from the pile._

 _Needs a sharper mind than the rest. She was a medic and undoubtedly a high-ranking one, considering that she studied under one of the legendary sannin renowned for her ability to heal and her monstrous strength. It was also listed that she had a natural aptitude for genjutsu. He recalled that sometime back when he cast the jutsu over the arena in the chuunin exams, she was one of the few who was able to dispel herself._

 _Able to hold the weight of a village on their shoulders. Literally speaking, she couldn't do something like that, but he was pretty damn sure she could destroy one whole village with a single fist to the ground. Metaphorically speaking, she was already doing a lot of the paperwork in Tsunade's place and already had a developed political outlook, giving her that advanced education she would need to rule a village._

 _Has absolute control of their inner workings. Sakura had to have astounding chakra control to be able to harness the strength of a thousand men. And again, she was a medic. Only a few people could enter that field and excel in it. And has the capability to defeat a greater enemy? She had previously defeated a greater enemy not too long ago- Akasuna no Sasori. Granted, she wasn't alone, but the old woman would have never succeeded unless Sakura was there with her. And that_ antidote _. People gave her too little credit for creating an antidote overnight for a potion created by a potion's master himself._

 _Lastly, holds the greatest reason for leaving the village. Kabuto thought about her team dynamics and her relationship with Konoha. Team Seven was an absolute mistake from the start. First you put a boy who would seek nothing for revenge with another who only wanted to be accepted and make friends. Then you throw in a girl just for the hell of it. It might look like a good team: dead last, the rookie of the class, and a girl with more book smarts than anything else. It looked balanced based on skills, but on a personal level, it was the worst three people you could possibly mix together._

 _Tension already ran high between Naruto and Sasuke, leaving Sakura to be stuck in the middle. While those two advanced quickly, trying to outdo each other, they forgot about her. In all actuality, she was an average ninja. Not great, not terrible, but average. Perhaps being put on a team with such unnatural talents made her a horrible shinobi in comparison to those two._

 _Haruno Sakura was underappreciated and quite possibly hoped for a chance to better herself._

 _Kabuto blinked disbelievingly and stood up in his seat. She was the perfect candidate. Grabbing her file, he walked down the dimly lit hallways until he reached Orochimaru's room. He knocked twice before turning the door knob and stepping through._

 _"Ah, Kabuto-kun. Have you finished finding a worthy successor?"_

 _"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."_

 _Orochimaru looked mildly surprised. It should've taken much longer, as he made that list of qualifications hard to decipher on purpose. It's not that he wanted to cause his subordinate so much trouble, but because he wanted to be sure the right person would be chosen._

 _"Her name is Haruno Sakura."_

 _Tsunade's apprentice? Kabuto had just picked the same person he had in mind. So far in the long run, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura have been following in their mentor's footsteps in such a ridiculously uncanny fashion. Sasuke leaves the village for the sake of growing stronger. Naruto goes after him, keeping tabs and trying to think up a plan of redemption. And Sakura is left behind._

 _He knew what was going to happen because history was only going to repeat itself- he could already see it. Naruto, at some point in the future, would learn Sage mode just as Jiraiya did. Sasuke could one day kill him, his teacher, just like he had done to Hiruzen. All that's left for Sakura to do is cut her losses from the place she called home, be persuaded by the right voice, and be brought back to a village to fill in position as a Kage._

 _"Such an interesting choice. I approve." he grinned, "But are you able to offer her your complete loyalty?"_

 _Kabuto pushed up his glasses._

 _"Perhaps. If she comes to deserve it."_

 _Orochimaru gave him a odd smile, one that Kabuto wasn't sure how to take, and leaned back in his bed._

 _"If she's anything like Tsunade, I don't think you'll have a problem."_

::

Ta no Kuni was truly a beautiful, beautiful country. The path became elevated and the surrounding area were sprawling rice terraces that spanned for miles. Even though the landscape was covered with a thin layer of snow, the sight was simply amazing. Sakura looked around wide-eyed, taking in the allure of her environment.

"This place is amazing." she murmured in awe, "If I knew how nice this country was I would have visited."

Kabuto found himself staring at her in surprise. She caught his gaze and shrunk a little to the side.

"What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." he replied, looking back ahead. Sakura pursed her lips and continued to look around her. Not too much later, she saw drops of red on the edge of the road that led to a thicket of tree.

"Hold on." she said. She strayed off the path and followed the trail until she saw a large heap of brown feathers covered in a sheet of white. Sakura kneeled down and turned the thing over to discover that it was an owl.

"A Great Horned Owl." Kabuto provided as he looked over her shoulder, "It's one of the many species of owls in this country."

Sakura gently stretched open one of its wings and saw the source of the red trail. A large gash ran across the underside of the wing. The owl turned it's head, watching with sharp yellow eyes as Sakura pulled off her gloves and let her hands glow green. She held it to the gaping wound and carefully stitched together the skin. Kabuto found it odd that the owl didn't lash out- this particular species tended to be rather volatile around these parts.

She pulled her hand away five minutes later and smiled.

"There, all better. How does it feel?"

The owl tested its wings a couple of times, then folding them at its sides and staring at Sakura even more intently. She stood and slid her gloves back on, giving the bird a small wave before turning back to the path with Kabuto.

"So owls are abundant in Ta no Kuni?"

"Very. You'll see much more of them the deeper you travel."

"Maybe I should make a summoning contract with owls. Wouldn't that be an interesting choice?"

The owl flew up to the trees and perched on one of the branches. It watched as the two continued down the path, eyes brimming with interest.

It was another hour or two before they finally reached Otogakure. Sakura frowned at the worn down wood of the gates and the crumbling, barely standing walls. The guards let them in with a wave, eyes glued to the young woman standing beside the Kabuto. Those gazes continued throughout the village, namely from the people she could easily identify as shinobi. The civilians didn't care much for their presence and continued on with their business.

Sakura, once more, wasn't pleased with the nature of the general public. Sure, they looked happy, but the buildings and such were in need of renovation. If she was going to be Otokage, she was going to do it right and make the people her top priority when she was able to start making changes and giving orders.

Just a bit in front of them, they saw a small boy walked towards them and crashed into Sakura's side. Kabuto immediately grabbed hold of his arm and took away the wallet the boy tried to steal. He tossed it to her.

"A pickpocket, Sakura-sama." he informed distastefully, "What do you want me to do to him?"

"Well you can let go, that's for one." Sakura said immediately. She took one of the boy's hands and turned it over so that she could place the wallet back in his hands. She was awarded with an extremely confused stare from the kid.

"Are you in the Academy?" she questioned. The boy looked at the wallet incredulously before snapping his eyes up to her.

"U-Uh yeah..."

"That wasn't slick at all! What are they teaching you there?" Sakura sighed as she shook her head, "Don't get caught next time, okay?"

She gave him a kind smile before motioning Kabuto to follow her towards the Kage tower. The boy was left in the middle of the street, blinking rapidly at the stranger who showed him more kindness than any had ever done before.

"Why did you let him keep the wallet, Sakura-sama?"

She was silent for a few moments.

"On my team's first escort mission, we were taken to a town in Nami no Kuni. The place was desperately poor. Homeless kids lined the streets and people were desperate for a job. The grocery stores had barely anything to sell and many had resorted to begging and stealing. Otogakure hasn't reached that point yet but..." she shook her head, "Anyways, my point is that the kid needed it if he was stealing it, right? More than I would, anyways."

The corners of Kabuto's lips turned downward.

"Helping that one boy didn't change anything."

"It must have changed something for him. For now, isn't that enough?"

For once in his life, he didn't know what to say. He kept his mouth shut and maintained a neutral expression the rest of the way there. It wasn't too long of a walk to the tower and they climbed up the stone steps slow enough for Kabuto to give the rundown of what type of person Hanzaki was.

"He doesn't talk much and knows to respect those who earn that respect. He also hates every aspect of Orochimaru, and really, that's all you need to know."

Sakura drew in a deep breath and approached the door that led to the Kage office. She knocked twice before entering. The room was barren with a dusty table and empty bookshelf being the only things occupying the space. Looking out the window was a large stature of a man, a zanbato slung horizontally across his back. A young orange-haired woman stood next to him, facing the door with an expectant look on her face. Her jaw slackened when she saw who walked through the door.

"Sakura-san?!"

Sakura returned the look with an equally surprised stare.

"Sasame-san!"

Sasame rushed up to her. Joy flushed down to her smile as he took Sakura's hands into her own.

"You're his successor? This is wonderful! Maybe you'd be able to-"

"Sasame."

Hanzaki turned away from the window and approached Sakura. He vaguely remembered her all those years ago when she came with the blonde boy and the feared sage, Jiraiya. He stared her down with unreadable to which she stared back with equal ferocity. Suddenly, he smirked.

"Sasame will aid you with whatever plans you have." he said, "I'll send Kotohime to you later. Good luck on your new position, Otokage-sama."

He left the room. Sakura slowly turned toward Kabuto.

"Did he just...?"

"Yes."

"So I got the..."

"Yes."

 _ **'Honestly, I thought he was going to be sexist. Even just a little bit.'**_


	5. Allies: Part One

Three weeks had passed and Sakura would be lying if she said she was having such great progress with Otogakure. The first thing she did was send all presumably high-ranking shinobi out of the village to gather bounties and raise as much funds as they could so that they could repair the buildings surrounding throughout the village, fix the outer wall, and replace the gates. She was surprised when essentially all the shinobi she ordered around had complied easily and without question. When she asked one of the very few ANBU members, he smiled at her.

"It's about damn time someone made some changes around here. All we want is our home to be in good hands, and if someone is willing to step up to the challenge, we'll gladly follow."

Sakura's heart warmed at that. So for three whole weeks, she barely slept and threw herself into her work. She personally went through the files of every single shinobi in the village, organized them in different piles based on skill set and chakra nature, and checked to make sure they were of correct ranking.

That took at least a week. At least. She really didn't know how much time had passed anymore with her days blurring together. It had gotten so bad at one point that even Kabuto had shown concern and had inquired about her health. She told him it was fine and even took a two hour nap to help her case.

But at the end of those three weeks, she could see that the funds were still low and the only thing she really could do with the money on hand was donate the money to schools, orphanages, the hospital, clinics, and others of the like. Sakura knew that she couldn't keep up this pace. She still had to fix the curriculum within the schools, both shinobi and civilian, decimate crime rates, train the medics, fix the hospital system, find someone to provide weapons, be able to bring in _more_ money...

Sakura sunk in her chair, bringing a hand to massage her forehead. She knew being in the highest position of power required a lot of attention and responsibility, but she never believed that she had to practically rebuild an entire village full of people who blindly depended on her, despite not knowing her for as long as they should have.

 _ **'Is that regret I'm hearing from you?'**_

 _'It isn't.'_

Inner laughed mockingly.

 _ **'I think we both know the real answer to that.'**_

She was about to really lose her mind with her Inner voice before Kabuto tapped her shoulder to gain her attention. Sakura slowly sat up straighter and looked at him. A few strands of hair were loose from his tie and she could see the dark, pronounced circles underneath his eyes. If he looked that bad, god knows how much worse she must look in comparison.

"Someone's here to see you. Should I tell them to come back at a later date?"

"No, it's fine. Let them in."

Kabuto nodded and opened the door. A small boy walked in, glancing around nervously and holding something tightly against his chest. He went up to her desk before thrusting both his hands out and bowing deeply.

"H-Here, ma'am! I didn't take any of the money, I swear!"

It was her wallet. Sakura took it, inspecting the outside with keen interest before setting it down on the small space on the desk that wasn't cluttered with folders and papers. She gave the boy a curious stare.

"Why did you give it back? I didn't ask for it." she said. The boy fidgeted a bit.

"I... You were nice to me, ma'am. After seeing you that nice, I couldn't repay you by taking your things like that. Besides, I'm gonna be a shinobi one day..."

He begrudgingly looked away.

"... Shinobi aren't supposed to be like that. We're suppos'd to protect the people, not take from them."

Kabuto stopped what he was doing and stared down blankly at the clipboard in his hands, dumbfounded at what he just heard. Sakura gave the boy a tired smile as she reached over the desk to ruffle his hair.

"I see a fine shinobi in you. Keep doing what you're doing, kid."

He pinkened, blubbered out out a 'thank you' and a sloppy bow, then excused himself from the office. Sakura fell back in her chair with a heavy sigh as she brought her hand back up to her forehead. This village had such promising shinobi that deserved better than what the village was offering. And after the display she just saw, she had to work harder than she was before.

She needed allies. Support.

Suddenly, she pulled out a small stack of blank papers and began to write furiously. Kabuto snapped out of his thoughts and shot her a surprised look.

"Sakura-sama?"

"I'm going to make a list. Within that list are the things I expect to be finished within a month, maybe a month and half depending on how long I'll be gone. Among those things will be implementing a new education course for the students of both the Shinobi Academy and the civilian schools, as well as a new training class for the teachers." she explained. The speed of her writing was incredibly fast and was quickly eating at the vacant papers. After finishing five whole sheets, she tapped them on her desk and handed it over to Kabuto.

She stood up and grabbed the black cloak draped across her chair and proceeded to fasten it around her shoulders.

"Of course, I don't expect you to carry out all that by yourself. Give certain ones it to Sasame-san and Kotohime-san too, don't be shy."

"Wait a minute. A list of things you need to be done? For a _month_? Where do you plan on going?" he asked. Sakura opened her wallet to check the money inside. She nodded to herself. This amount should be able to cover her expenses for the entirety of her departure.

"To gather allies." she answered simply, "At this rate, Otogakure is getting better, but it isn't going fast enough. I've already got kind of a plan in mind."

She held up two scrolls, each a the same map but with different markings.

"I have the one where you marked neutral countries and villages. If they aren't directly involved with Konoha, I can get help from them. I know I can. And the other map I have has the places Konoha shinobi have been spotted the last three weeks. If I avoid those areas, I won't get caught. Easy."

Sakura flipped on her hood and made her way towards the door.

"I should go with you, Sakura-sama. I couldn't possibly let you go alone be-"

"You don't trust me, I know." she sighed. Something flashed in Kabuto's eyes, "You don't have to hide it. We've been in each other's company for three whole weeks, and I've seen the surprise on your face every time I've done something for the village. I also think that you're here because it was Orochimaru's last order, not on your own volition."

Kabuto was quiet for a while before he smirked.

"Was it that obvious?"

"A little."

She slipped her wallet into her back pocket and slid on her gloves. She approached Kabuto and set a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not going to force you to stay."

He stiffened.

"What kind of person am I to make someone stay where they don't want to be? You can leave if you wish. Take all the knowledge you want, I won't stop you." she said. She grinned at him and went to the door to take her leave, "You don't have to decide now, but when I come back and you're not here, I'll know your answer."

She shut the door behind her. When he was sure that she was gone, his smirk dropped and his eyes trailed to the empty seat in the office.

 _I'm not going to force you to stay._

He frowned.

::

He was in denial. But then again, who wasn't? No one knew how to react to the news and tried to think up all excuses they could. It had to be something. Anything but _that._

She moved places!

 _She's not in the village._

She was kidnapped!

 _There was no intruder. Her apartment also showed no signs of a struggle._

She went on a long trip! Maybe... Maybe to find herbs!

 _Her entire apartment was clean. Her pictures and clothes were gone._

She went on a mission!

 _The Hokage didn't assign any to her._

She... she abandoned... us?

 _And she didn't even say goodbye._

Naruto waved it off with a grin the first time, saying that Sakura would never do something like that. He insisted that she had some sort of personal business to take care of and that she back sooner or later. But as the days ticked by, slowly and painfully, that grin on his face eventually fell into a grim line of realization. And if Naruto fell into that feeling, everyone knew that it had to be true. That she was gone. That she left without a word.

Ino was furious at the news. She went into a frenzy the second week of Sakura's disappearance and went on and on for hours about how much she hated her. She screamed about how much she hated her and how much of an annoyance that girl really was in her life. But in the later hours of her shouts and snarls, she lost it. She collapsed right in the flower shop and cried herself a river of tears, all while muttering how stupid Sakura was.

Sai wasn't sure how to take it. Still quite new to the concept of emotions, he consulted various books to try and explain what he was feeling. After studying for some time, he settled on either pained or disbelieving. He considered Sakura to be one of his few "friends" and was very well taken aback at the course of action she decided to push through with. He didn't know her as well or for as long as Naruto or Ino had, so he hadn't fallen into a sort of hopeless depression. It merely felt like a sting that wouldn't go away.

Kakashi... Kakashi fell silent the minute he heard. His genius mind ran through the various scenarios that could possibly explain Sakura's sudden disappearance, but he was too much of an experienced shinobi to be optimistic about these types of things. Somehow, his feet didn't carry him to the same destination it always had. He wasn't at the memorial stone, but at the front of Sakura's apartment. He stood there for a long time, cognizance seeping into his veins. She was gone and he let a student down for the second time.

But no matter how much they hurt or how many tears they shed, they weren't going to give up. They were going to find her and convince her to come home, despite what any member of the council had said about her.


	6. Allies: Part Two

It was still winter and snow lazily floated down from the sky. Sakura was clothed in a pair of black unisex pants and a long sleeved red turtle neck. A shoulder bag sat against her hip, holding the scrolls she needed and a few pieces of spare clothes. She really hoped she could gather all these allies and bring Otogakure out of the dirt.

 _ **'I wonder why you can't apply this fierce loyalty with Konohagakure.'**_

Sakura grit her teeth.

 _ **'What? You were born there. Raised there. And you left with the man who was once loyal to that snakeskin. Such a lower piece of shit you've become, abandoning your friends for a place that meant nothing to you.'**_

 _'You were the one who told me to do it in the first place!'_

 _ **'And guess who I am. I'm still you, so you know I'm telling you nothing but the harsh truth.'**_

She exhaled loudly.

 _ **'What was that thing Kakashi told us? Ah, yes. In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. And look here, you've managed to do both in one fell swoop. Bravo. You're a true hero.'**_

Sakura pressed two fingers to her temple and attempted to soothe her frayed nerves. Inner had been more vocal than normal, giving her more pulsing headaches than she needed. She sighed and tried to focus on the path ahead of her, not expecting the set of talons that suddenly dug into her shoulder. Sakura winced and saw that it was an owl that looked much like the one she healed before arriving in Otogakure.

"Um... hello?" she addressed reluctantly, "Can I... do something for you?"

Its eyes bore into her a long while.

"I've heard many things about you, Haruno Sakura." it, no, _she_ crooned, "And from what I've seen thus far, I would say that those things are true. Really, I first saw those things when you took the time out of your journey to heal my wing. For that, I give thanks."

Sakura blinked. She stared at the bird more intently, barely making out the summoning symbol on her stomach. It was blended brilliantly with the color of her feathers, giving an understandable reason to why Sakura hadn't seen it the first time.

"I- you're welcome, I guess. So..."

"Bunko."

"Bunko-san, what have you heard of me? I think the word on the street is that I'm missing and have been issued an alert if anyone from Konoha sees me. A lot of people have also started to call me a traitor, so there's that too." she remarked numbly. And it was true. She heard that the council had ruled her disappearance an act of treason, and if she was spotted, she would be forcefully brought back to her home village and tried in the court.

Normally, such aggressive action wouldn't be taken against someone who wasn't a confirmed missing-nin, but she wasn't an ordinary case. She was the apprentice of the Hokage, and with such privilege, she was granted access to restricted areas and to information vital to Konoha's core. Her leaving plus knowledge that she probably shouldn't have been allowed with equaled someone the council couldn't take a chance with.

"I wasn't speaking about those aspects. Titles are never important. I was referring to your nature." Bunko replied. Sakura furrowed her brow.

"Nature? Chakra nature?"

"No. Owls have a very sharp sense of sight, you see, far better than any human's. In addition to us being able to utilize chakra, our eyes have somewhat evolved. We are able to see through any lie, genjutsu, or intent. When you healed me, I saw something interesting in you. You're a gentle soul, kind and caring. Your intentions are pure and yet, you leave your village to rebuild another. It's strange." she mused. Bunko flapped her wings a bit.

"I'm... not so sure how to explain it. I've made too many mistakes in my other village and I hoped..." she trailed off. Hoped? What had she hoped for? The owl peered at her profile.

"... Hoped you could better your wrongs?" she suggested. Sakura let her lips turn up into a weary smile.

"Yeah. Something like that."

It was quiet for a few minutes, the both of them reveling in the silence and the light brush of cold air that rippled through them.

"Could I accompany you on your journey?" Bunko asked. Sakura scratched the back of her head.

"Sure. I don't mind."

::

 **Shinobi Academy Curriculum**

 _Reading, writing, and mathematics will all be the same. Science classes will begin to include the borderline basics of anatomical studies. Provide an extra course for those interested in going into the medical field. Geography will be focused on mainly Ta no Kuni in the first three years of school. In the last three years, change it to world geography. Make sure these students know their enemies well enough to know what to expect._

 _Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday will be taijutsu/ninjutsu/training classes. Physical education days, if you so choose to think. Ninjutsu that will be required to graduate are the bunshin and the henge. Tuesdays and Thursdays are weapons classes. In the last year, genjutsu will be introduced and the graduation also requires the student to dispel themselves from the lowest ranking genjutsu. The use of kunai and shuriken will absolutely be taught, but in the last few years, introduce tantos and senbon._

 _If a student is having trouble, tutoring will be available to them._

 _Special kunoichi classes will be held after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If any boy wants to join the class, let them. It will be held from 4-6 pm._

 _The school day will be eight hours long with a one hour long lunch period. Due to the lengthy day, Saturdays and Sundays are free to them._

 _It also seems that the Academy is lacking in suitable sensei. I'll find some shinobi to fill the positions or find someone to retrain the current ones._

The rest of the page as well as the next listed small quirks and details that needed to be added or removed to the syllabus. Kabuto tapped his fingers on the desk as his chin rested on his open palm. Even he had to admit that this plan outline was a little more advanced than normal, but nonetheless one of the best ideas he heard from Sakura. Actually, essentially every idea he heard from her was a really good and well thought out idea.

He tossed his glasses on the desk and leaned his head back against the wall.

 _"But are you able to offer her your complete loyalty?"_

 _"I'm not going to force you to stay."_

He'd been lost for so long he didn't know what to think anymore.

When he worked under Danzo, he never kept one identity or an extended amount of time. First he was sent as a Kumogakure shinobi, next a Kirigakure, then a Sunagakure, after that an Iwagakure, and finally, a Konohagakure. There were so many individuals he had to take cover as, so many people he had to become, that he didn't know who the real him was anymore.

Even in his loyalty with Orochimaru, he was never completely loyal. Yes, he did save Orochimaru's life many times over the years, but he occasionally acted against him. Kabuto remembered every time he had knowingly and willingly gave information who were major enemies of his former master. It was so simple.

Orochimaru told him who to be: attentive, compliant, charismatic, confident, positive, reliable, respectful, and committed. Kabuto had done everything in his power to become that person and put on the perfect display. Show. Act. He simply did what he did best, and that was to follow orders.

It was all he'd ever done and the only thing he learned to do.

His temple began to throb mercilessly, leading him to sink down in the corner of the office, knees pressed to his chest and head held firmly in his hands.

Why couldn't she have made it easy?

Why couldn't she have told him who to be?!

::

"Haruno Sakura..." Pein mused, surprised by such a development. He flipped through the notes Zetsu provided for him. Due to such a disinterest in Ta no Kuni, not one of the major shinobi villages had caught wind that Otogakure (if they knew that Otogakure existed) had gained a new leader. And he was glad for that. The more people ignored the new found occupation, the more interest he could invest.

"The people have yet to form an opinion on her. **Three weeks have passed and she's making changes, but they aren't sure of her intentions.** "

"Really? How fascinating."

It was a risky game he was playing, being so interested in a run down village. Amegakure was sorely at a loss of political status. There weren't any villages that were willing to form treaties despite the fact that his village was flourishing quite nicely. True, Amegakure wasn't the friendliest of places, but Pein did try to make better political relations, but no one took up his offer.

If Otogakure, though, was able to become something great...

Pein took out a pad of papers from his desk and ripped off the top sheet. He clicked his pen and wrote a particularly dangerous set of numbers before handing it to Zetsu.

"A check?" Zetsu questioned.

"A small donation." Pein clarified, "To give this village a nudge in the right direction."

Zetsu inspected the check, eyes widening considerably as he read the amount. No, this couldn't be right. Had his leader put too many zeroes on the figure?

"This... **I hope you know you're making an enormous gamble with this** _ **Otokage.**_ "

He did know what he was doing. If the person who ruled Otogakure had been able to defeat one of his Akatsuki members, surely she was capable of raising it to its greatest potential.

::

Sakura sank down neck deep in the ryokan's outdoor onsen and welcomed the feeling of warm water washing over her tense muscles. Bunko opted to stay in the room and maybe go out for a meal or rabbits or squirrels. Sakura didn't mind. The onsen was empty and enjoyable, giving her time to reflect on her plans.

The first place she planned to go was Nadeshiko Village. It was the farthest to travel to, being on one of the surrounding islands near Water Country, and it was brimming with powerful kunoichi. The term "kunoichi" being used because of their matrilineal line. A staggering percentage of their population were women and their forces were incredibly powerful. If she could convince them to join in an alliance with her, she could request some of their kunoichi to come to her village to review her Academy and genin sensei.

And if possible, maybe some of them could stay a little longer and teach some classes or train genin teams of their own. Doing so would quickly strengthen trustworthy relations between Nadeshiko and Oto. To her, the idea was brilliant.

 _ **'What makes you think that their leader, Shizuka, would want to ally with your shit-stain of a village?'**_

Sakura sighed. And there went her peace and quiet.

 _ **'Allies are allies for a reason. To be stronger. Otogakure will only drag Nadeshiko down with it.'**_

 _'... I'm getting real tired of your voice. Why can't you just go away and leave me alone?'_

Inner laughed.

 _ **'Where's the fun in that?'**_

The door to the onsen slid open and a woman stepped onto the stone flooring. Sakura watched with furrowed brows as she slipped into the water. The stranger was covered in welts and bruises with half her face suffering the scarring of a third degree burn. Not to mention that her chakra levels were ridiculously low.

"Um, ma'am?" Sakura called out softly. The woman looked up.

"I'm sorry. Is my appearance disturbing you?" she asked.

"No no, not at all! I just noticed your injuries and was wondering if I could heal them? They look far from comfortable."

The woman looked at her curiously.

"Oh. Thank you...?"

"Haruno Sakura." Sakura introduced as she waded over to the older woman's spot, hands glowing a vibrant green. The woman smiled.

"Rinha Marisu. It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno-san."

As Sakura began to work on her shoulder, she couldn't help but gain a nagging feeling at the back of her head. She heard that name somewhere before, but where? The onsen was filled with light chatter, the two of them enjoying the easy company.

"So what is a talented medic like yourself doing out here, Haruno-san? It's mostly small villages at this end of Yu no Kuni. Could you be a traveling doctor?" Marisu asked. The moved to sit on one of the stones where Sakura began to heal the angry red marks on the woman's back.

"Not at all, actually." she replied, "I recently became the leader of Otogakure."

"Otogakure? That run down village?"

Sakura nodded.

"Yeah. That one. I'm trying to become allies with other villages to try and gain some help. I have faith in my village. One day, if I work hard enough, the village will be as great as it deserves to be." she said. Sakura moved her hands up to the side of Marisu's face to try and heal the scarring. She didn't know if it were possible at this point, depending on how bad the burn was, how long it went untreated for, and how old it really was.

"... How bad is the hospital system?" Marisu questioned suddenly. Sakura sighed.

"Not as well as I hoped." she said, "I try to train the doctors and medics there as much as I can, but with everything else I have to take care of I've only managed about five hours of total training. It's not _nearly_ enough and I haven't found anyone to appoint as Chief of Medicine."

Marisu cast her eyes to the side. In one point in time, she was a village leader herself. She knew the struggles Sakura spoke of, and even though the village she managed was not nearly as large or attention-demanding as Otogakure, she empathized with the other woman.

"I'm a medic too, you know. As well as a kunoichi." Marisu commented somberly, "The wounds on my body are new, but the scarring on my face has been there a whole year."

"A medic?"

"Yes. My entire clan was renowned for their medical ninjutsu in past wars."

Then it clicked.

" _That_ Rinha Clan? And you're the sole kunoichi that became the only survivor of the Third Shinobi World War?" Sakura questioned incredulously. The two of them stepped out of the onsen and went back into the ryokan to change into their yukata.

"How do you know of them? You don't look old enough to have lived through the war. And if you were alive, I doubt you would've been old enough to remember." Marisu said.

"My... _associate_... mentioned your clan among the ones that suffered immensely in Ta no Kuni. You weren't on my list of allies, but now that I remember how powerful your clan was with medical ninjutsu, you seem like the perfect person to take over the hospital. You have the experience, the techniques..." Sakura looked down at the ground thoughtfully as she walked down the hall beside Marisu, "... You're more than qualified."

Marisu resisted the urge to sigh. This was how it was with all people of power she came across. Once they learned of who she was, they'd try and force her into working for them.

"I'd love for you to take the position." the Otokage continued, still somewhere in her thoughts, "You'd be a huge help, but it's your life. You don't owe me anything so I don't expect you to take me up on it."

Marisu's steps slowed to a stop, her face contorting in one of confusion. Sakura paused as well to look up at her companion.

"Rinha-san?"

"This is my room." she replied, pointing to the side. Sakura's face lit up a wide smile.

"Oh. Well, sleep on what I said, okay? I'm going to leave tomorrow morning at seven so I hope I'll have your answer by then. Have a nice night, Rinha-san."

"... You too, Haruno-san."

In her room, Marisu stood in front of a mirror, inspecting the healing done to her face. It was still scarred, but it was healed to the point where she could call her face normal save for the slight bumps and discoloration. If she were to have healed her own face, the probably would have ended up with the same result. Haruno Sakura was more than talented if her skills said anything about it.

She let her dark bangs fall to cover the burnt half of her face and left the bathroom. The position as Chief of Medicine didn't seem like such a bad deal. And if she had to choose wandering around aimlessly for the rest of her days or serve under someone like Haruno Sakura...

... Yeah. Maybe rejoining a village wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

The following morning, Marisu sat on one of the many chairs in the lobby waiting patiently for Sakura's arrival. At precisely seven, the aforementioned walked straight into the lobby, black cloak billowing behind her every step.

"Ah, good morning, Rinha-san. Have you considered the position?"

"I have." she replied. Gold eyes glimmered brightly as she offered Sakura a small bow, "And I'll await your return back in Otogakure."

Sakura couldn't have grinned wider.


	7. Allies: Part Three

"I'm really starting to doubt your tracking skills."

"Like you're one to talk, shark teeth! I'm the chakra sensor around here- not you! And Uchiha Itachi is in this direction!"

"Tch. You're leading us on a goose chase."

Karin bashed her fist into Suigetsu's head, grimacing as it liquefied and soaked her sleeve.

"Now look what you've done!"

"It's your own damn fault for assaulting me, bitch face!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and bit into his onigiri. It had been two whole weeks since he had gathered all the members of Team Hebi and really, he was starting to think that this wasn't such a good idea after all. Juugo was pleasant to have around as he tended to keep to himself and only spoke when it was absolutely necessary. His fits of rage were minimal, and even when he did go berserk, the level of irritation of his transformations were nowhere _near_ close the level of irritation of this other two teammates.

Karin was even more annoying and flirtatious than Sakura had ever been. If she wasn't clinging onto him, she'd be arguing with Suigetsu. Suigetsu was normally indifferent to his surroundings, but once he got into a fight with Karin, the two never seemed to stop going at each other's throats. It was like the old Team Seven, but more tiresome.

Even their breaks were full of loud and obnoxious.

Sasuke glanced over at Juugo who was contently reading through a Universal Bingo Book to try and find a person they could cash in to replenish their funds. He wondered how someone could keep a smile on his face even with all this endless noise. Suddenly, Juugo's face grew confused as he read one of the pages.

"That's odd..."

Sasuke swallowed the piece of his onigiri.

"What is?"

"This entry. Konohagakure no Sato is offering more for her to be returned alive rather than the black market is offering for her death. I wonder what's so special about Haruno Sakura." Juugo mumbled. Sasuke froze for a few seconds before extending his hand.

"Give me the book."

Once it was in his grasp his eyes went to the corner picture. Sure enough, it was her.

 **Basic Information**

 _Name: Haruno Sakura_

 _Age: 16_

 _Village: Konohagakure_

 _Village Rank: Jounin_

 _Personal Data_

 _Date of Birth: March 28_

 _Blood Type: O_

 _Height: 161 cm (5'3")_

 _Weight: 45.4 kg (110 lbs)_

 _Bloodline Limit: N/A_

 **Data**

 _Rank: B_

 _Status: Unknown_

 _Organization: Unknown_

 _Alliances: Unknown_

 _Wanted for: Leaving Konohagakure_

 **Other Notable Information**

 _Has trained under the sannin Tsunade. Is able to utilize chakra-enhanced strength and is a high-ranking medic. Considered a traitor. Proceed with caution._

Sasuke's jaw tightened.

::

Kabuto was looking worse for wear the few days Sakura had gone off looking for allies. His thoughts were in a million places with both Sakura's and Orochimaru's words bouncing off the frayed edges of his mind. He already sent Sasame and Kotohime to start implementing the new curriculum in all the schools, and currently, he was managing the money the high ranking shinobi were bringing in. And as it stood, he could only start donating little by little to construction and public services.

But there still was far too much to consider!

He was tempted to start banging his head on the desk and wait for someone to just end his life, but he resisted the urge. There was a time and place for everything, but not now. Kabuto took in a deep breath and sat up in his chair, rubbing at his face to try and wipe away the look of sleep deprivation. So far, it wasn't doing him any good.

And what was he doing here, anyways? Sakura gave him the choice to leave. He could get up at this moment right now, drop all the work, and walk away with all the information he had. He could even tell her enemies, Konoha especially, where she was and watch her be incarcerated for her actions. Granted, he prompted them, but it wasn't like he was on good terms with her anyways.

 _'... I'll give it some more thought.'_ Kabuto decided eventually, _'It wouldn't hurt to bide my time.'_

There were a series of knocks on the door.

"Come in." he sighed. The door slowly pushed open, revealing an older woman that Kabuto recognized immediately.

"Rinha?"

"Yes. Hello." Marisu greeted, raising an eyebrow at the man's disheveled appearance, "I'm Rinha Marisu, as you seem to already know, and I came here on Haruno Sakura's behalf. She said she wanted me to take up the position as Chief of Medicine."

Kabuto leaned forward, his hand sliding up his face to grab at his unbound hair.

"What."

"Haruno Sakura said she wanted me to take up the position as Chief of Medicine." she repeated. Kabuto pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. Sakura was only gone for barely a week and she had already gotten her first ally. He stood.

"I see. Follow me and I'll lead you down to the hospital. I suggest you review the patients first before moving on to train the doctors and medics- it's been a long while since I've been able to check myself." he said.

Yes, he would bide his time. He would see how far Sakura would go before deciding to stay or leave.

::

Nadeshiko Village was built atop three steep hills that were aligned, the largest portion being the hill in the center. Two iron bridges connected each body of land, creating the image of a stronghold rather than a village.

"I've been here many times." Bunko said, eyes sweeping over the village, "The kunoichi truly are formidable here. Did you request an audience with their leader?"

Sakura scratched the back of her head with a sheepish chuckle.

"No. I'm gathering allies on a whim so I don't know if they're going to say yes to me or not." she admitted. Bunko hummed.

"The leader is a young one such as yourself. I'm positive that she'll understand your plight."

"Well, here's hoping."

Bunko flew off the woman's shoulder and assumed a new perch on a tree just outside the village. Sakura drew in a deep breath and approached the village entrance at the base of the largest hill. The gate guards regarded her curiously.

"Hello, ma'am." one of them politely acknowledged, "What brings you to Nadeshiko Village?"

"My name is Haruno Sakura and I'm the current leader of Otogakure."

The guards straightened.

"I came here to speak with Shizuka-sama about a possible treaty between our villages. I understand that I appeared on extremely short notice and I'm more than willing to wait for an opportunity to talk if she isn't available."

She watched as the guards conversed quietly with each other before one of them walked up to her, offering a short bow of respect.

"I believe Shizuka-sama doesn't have any major plans for today. If you'll follow me, Haruno-sama, I can take you to her office."

Sakura complied with a friendly smile. As they walked through the village, she was still surprised to see that most of the people she saw were women. That matrilineal line must really be no joke here. The people were jovial, making Sakura give a genuine smile. Nothing would make her happier than to see Otogakure eventually get so the same state as Nadeshiko.

The guard led her to the central tower and up to the top floor. She directed Sakura to stand just a little ways away from the office. After a minute or two of being alone, the guard came back out to meet Sakura.

"Shizuka-sama is able to see you now."

The first thing the Otokage saw was the tall, imposing kunoichi standing beside the desk. Her eyes were dark and narrow with her angular face framed by short, spiked brown hair. An unusually long katana was strapped against her back. Seated at the desk, presumably, was Nadeshiko's leader Shizuka. True to Bunko's words, the woman looked young. Perhaps a only a few years older than herself. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her deep green eyes were blank as they observed the stranger.

"Otogakure's leader, Haruno Sakura? A pleasure to meet you. Etsu-san says that you've come here to discuss a treaty." Shizuka said.

"Ah, yes. You see, I've been in Otogakure for about three weeks now. I've been trying to fix the problems and raise the economy as quickly as I could. And in all honesty, I've only been able to do so by a fraction of a percent. If I keep at the rate I'm going, it'll take far too much time to get the village where I want it to be. My only possible solution was to gather allies." Sakura explained, "Of course, once Otogakure reaches its full capacity, I will repay you for the inconvenience it caused in the beginning."

Shizuka silently mulled over the idea, her attendant glancing over to her casually.

"... Say we do make this treaty and we offer you our help. What makes you so sure that Otogakure will ever reach its potential? I've heard the rumors. It isn't exactly in good shape."

 _ **'What did I say?'**_

"It will." Sakura stated firmly, eyes hardening in determination, "I know you have no reason to believe me, nor any reason to help me, but Otogakure deserves better than what it was given. Someone gave the chance to help these people and I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to let it get any worse."

She quickly realized how rude she must've sounded and tried to rectify her words.

"That is- Sorry- I didn't mean-"

Shizuka raised a hand.

"No, no. I shouldn't have doubted your plans. So, if we do push through with a treaty, it sounds like you want something from us immediately. What is it that you require? Supplies? Money?" she asked. Sakura shook her head.

"None of that, actually. All I need are some of your shinobi. Ten, maybe fifteen at most."

Shizuka's eyes narrowed a fraction.

"And your reasoning behind this?" she questioned.

"What I know of the Nadeshiko Village is that it's full of incredibly strong kunoichi that get stronger with every generation. If I can get some of your kunoichi to come to Otogakure, I can address one of the root problems in terms of power- the Academy students and the genin." Sakura began, "Since the village hasn't had a leader in so long, nothing has been done to properly educate future shinobi. With such a success Nadeshiko Village has become with their power, I request for some of your people to come to re-teach Academy students, re-teach Academy sensei, and maybe become genin-sensei."

Nadeshiko's leader leaned back in her chair as she took the other woman's words into consideration. What she was asking for wasn't much, and really, was a rather low price for a treaty. It was also such an odd thing to ask for. She then looked up at Sakura's, seeing the confidence and true intent written on her face.

"... Tokiwa."

The tall woman inclined her head.

"Yes, Shizuka-dono?"

"Gather twenty kunoichi. Preferably ones that work well with small children. Once you've done so, assemble in my office."

Tokiwa bowed at both Shizuka and Sakura before excusing herself from the office. The older woman then turned to the other occupant in the room, a small smile on her face.

"So? Shall we continue discussing the terms of our treaty?"

::

"The situation is getting much better." Marisu said as she shuffled through some hospital files, "The staff here are quick learners. They ask a lot of questions, but they're a good lot."

Kabuto jotted down the information on his clipboard. Marisu had only been here for about five days and the changes to the hospital could already be seen happening bit by bit. About six more months of this fast pace, then she could go assess the smaller clinics and such that was spread around the village. Another daunting task, seeing that she was only one person.

"But?" he urged. Marisu sighed.

"But medicinal herbs and medical supplies are low. Did Haruno-sama say anything about getting them on her quest for allies?"

"No."

"Well, I'm sure she knows of this. We'll get the help we need sooner or later."

Kabuto stopped writing on the clipboard to adjust his glasses.

"... And you trust in her?"

She put her hands on her waist and pursed her lips.

"Why not? Someone who doesn't care wouldn't come this far." she said. He hummed to himself and looked back down at the clipboard. That was true... Soon enough, there was a knock on the door followed by the entrance of a large group of intimidating looking kunoichi.

"Can I... help you?" Kabuto questioned slowly. One of them stepped forward.

"Yakushi Kabuto? We're here to train Academy students and genin on Haruno-sama's request."

He blinked.

...

"What."

::

 **Catch the Pokemon reference?**

 **Shout out to Professor Rowan from Pokemon Diamond/Pearl who wouldn't let me use my goddamn bike inside buildings. Asshole.**


	8. Allies: Part Four

"My summons?!"

Bunko nodded in affirmative.

"It's come to my attention that you're currently in need of one. And from what I've seen, my kind and I would be more than pleased to come to your aid if you need it." she said.

"That- That'd be great!"

Bunko flew off Sakura's shoulder and landed on the ground next to a large scroll that suddenly appeared. It opened, showing a series of unrecognized red names. Sakura kneeled down on to the ground, bit her thumb, and wrote her name in the next blank space. She suddenly felt a twinge of regret as she remembered Katsuyu at the other slugs, but this was for the best. She couldn't afford to leave a trail where Konoha shinobi could find her.

 _ **'The trail is what you're worried about? What about what you've done to everyone that loved you?'**_

When the scroll disappeared, Bunko returned to her perch on Sakura's shoulder.

 _ **'Think about them. Don't you even realize what happened?'**_

"Where to next, Sakura-san?"

 _ **'Especially Naruto. He didn't deserve what you're doing to him.'**_

"... Benisu Island. It's northeast of Uzu no Kuni; among the cluster of islands."

 _'_ _ **How can you live with yourself?'**_

::

They had absolutely no leads.

The way she disappeared was like she had never existed. Her apartment was barren and void of anything like a scent or chakra residue. The Inuzuka, the Hyuuga, and Kakashi had been ruled out of finding her. The last person to have spoken to her inside the village had been Shizune, and she didn't know a single thing. Sakura hadn't been her normal self the last day anyone had seen her, but other than that, there was nothing. And Tsunade was getting extremely frustrated.

"Dammit! Where they hell could she be? It's been over a month!"

Tsunade missed Sakura. Everyone did. It just wasn't like her to leave like out of the blue like that. All she wanted to do was bring her apprentice home, yell at her for making everyone worry so much, and reprimand the hell out of her for doing something. And the sooner she got back to Konoha, the more lenient the council would be on her punishment.

"Tsunade-sama, maybe you should summon Katsuyu-sama." Shizune suggested as she poured some tea, "Maybe she knows where Sakura-chan is."

"It's well worth a shot." the Hokage sighed.

She bit her thumb and formed a series of hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Katsuyu appeared in her average form, taking up a good middle portion of Tsunade's desk.

"Tsunade-hime." she greeted softly.

"Good afternoon, Katsuyu-sama." Tsunade said as she crossed her arms, "I don't know if you're aware, but Sakura's gone missing and we have absolutely no clue where she could be. Do you know anything about it?"

Katsuyu's feelers pointed down tentatively.

"I regret to inform you that a little over a month ago, Sakura-chan officially revoked her contract with the slugs."

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Tsunade was silent, eyes shadowed and hands clenched so hard that her knuckles turned white. She was so engulfed in her refusal to accept what was told that she didn't notice the door open. Katsuyu solemnly continued.

"Sakura-chan isn't coming back-"

"LIAR!"

Naruto stood in the entrance of the office, Sakura's hitai-ate tight in his grip.

"You're lying! Sakura-chan isn't like that!"

He stomped in, glaring heatedly at the slug summon. Sai and Kakashi rushed in after him and tried to keep him restrained.

"Naruto! Stop!"

"Sakura-chan wouldn't leave the village! Not in a million years! I know her and she's one of the best people I've ever met! Yeah, she can get a little mean sometimes, but what's wrong with that?! After everything- after all the _bullshit_ we've been through together- she wouldn't leave!" he shouted. Katsuyu turned around.

"...I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I truly am."

"NO! I'll show you! I'll show you that she isn't gone! I'm gonna find her right now and you can't do noth-!"

Suddenly, he slumped forward into Sai and Kakashi's arms. Kakashi withdrew his hand from his student's neck without a word, then turned his gaze down. Sai looked at the summon in hopes that everything she said was merely a cruel joke.

"Katsuyu-sama... are you sure that she said that?"

"Yes. _'I'm breaking all ties with Konoha'_ ," she recited mournfully, " _'and that means I must break ties with Tsunade-shi-_ Tsunade _as well.'_ "

::

It was actually quite easy to bring the people of Benisu Island over onto her side. There was a small shinobi village, the Merchant Village, that made profit of their exceptional medicinal plant gathering skills. Once she explained her situation to their leader, he gratefully accepted her request of a future trade system of herbs for money. He even made and signed their treaty within the hour.

Afterwards, he gave her directions to Nanakusa Island. He understood her struggle with her village and that she didn't have the funds to begin their trade system at the very moment, so told her about the neutral land just east of their current location. It certainly didn't have all the medicinal plants she needed, but it was a fine start.

So the following morning, she set off to Nanakusa. The crew that sailed her over promised to pick her up at noon, giving her a good handful of hours to gather all the herbs she needed. Sakura summoned a large group of owls.

"Hello, good morning!" she chirped, "My name is Haruno Sakura. You see, I need some help collecting these medicinal plants and gather as much as possible. The ones I have my eyes set on are Mandra Grass, Elixir Mud, Energy Carrots, Giant Mato, and Crimson Newts. I'll take care of the Elixir Mud and Crimson Newts myself, but could the rest of you get everything else? Here- I circled them on this map..."

She pulled out a blue map from her back pouch and laid them out for the owls to see.

"You can find those three in these areas. Oh! And make sure that you don't take everything so the herb population doesn't become scarce. Luckily it doesn't snow here and that the plants grow year round. Could you guys do that for me?"

"Yes, Sakura-san!" they chorused. The owls chattered amongst themselves to divide up the work, committed the map layout to memory, and flew off to their designated locations, Bunko being amongst them. Once the owls were gone from sight, she took the map and gazed at the layout.

"Well... I guess I could get the Elixir Mud first." she murmured. Elixir Mud was great for healing bruises, cuts, and sprains, but it was such a pain to gather. It was found in gas filled underground caverns that could turn toxic if one breathed the air for too long. Sakura walked over to where the ship dropped her off and hefted a sack of jars over her shoulder before proceeding to find the entrance of the cavern.

::

"Gone to collect allies, you say?"

"Aa. Haruno Sakura went out on her own to gather allies for her village. **Who the hell goes out and does that? You know, you're being real strange.** This is the first time I've seen you so interested in someone that doesn't concern either Ame or Akatsuki."

Pein smirked as he looked out at the rain.

"On the contrary, Haruno Sakura will become someone important to both Amegakure and Akatsuki, so I suggest you get used to her."

Zetsu gaped at him.

" **Her? The Kyuubi's friend? What good'll she do?** "

"In due time, Zetsu. In due time."

::

"Ugly ass lizard! Shannaro!"

Sakura leapt in the air and drove her heel down on a gigantic reptile's head, smashing it down into the floor and rendering it unconscious.

"CHA! Why didn't anyone tell me these things lived underground?!"

The cavern home to the Elixir Mud was full of geysers that spat out boiling hot gas that could poison her if she stayed there for more than an hour. It also littered the path towards the mud making it difficult to discern a safe path towards her goal. For ten minutes, Sakura observed the pattern at which the geysers went off, and once she was able to read it, rushed down the path and made it to the mud. And just before she was about to lower in a jar to collect what she needed, an enormous lizard appeared and tried to slam her with its tail.

She caught it and sent the lizard through a cavern wall. A second one came dashing after her, but she was able to subdue it easily with a dropkick to the skull. Not wanting to risk a third one coming after her, Sakura quickly filled sixteen jars, rolled them in cloth so they wouldn't break, stuffed them back in the sack, and high tailed out of there.

"Eh... What a pain in the ass..." she sighed. Next, she walked over to the the rope bridge and slid down to the running river below. But what would be a bigger pain would be gathering enough Crimson Newts. They were often found under rocks in the river and liked to wiggle out of one's grasp if they ever got caught. Sakura sighed again and set down the sack. She proceeded to unbutton her cloak and, slip off her shoes, and take off both her pants and her shirt, leaving her with spandex shorts and a sports bra. She stepped into the water.

"Ack! It's ice cold!"

Of course it was cold. It was still _winter_.

For three hours she was in that river, upturning rocks and trying not to get too angry at the little amphibians who always seemed to be able to evade her grip. It wasn't as fun as it sounded. Alongside the frigid waters was Inner- very vocal and very much inclined to tell her everything she did wrong.

 _ **'Tsunade. What of her? She trained you. Devoted time for you. Gave you all your abilities to who the world knows today as Haruno Sakura. Who would you be without her? Oh, that's right. The same person you are now. The disappointment who left the village.'**_

Sakura silently cursed as another Crimson Newt slipped from her fingers.

 _ **'Sasuke-kun this. Sasuke-kun that. You used to love the Sasuke-kun who didn't spare us a glance. Who called you annoying. Who hurt Naruto. Who left the village. Who became scum. You had to rely on Naruto to bring him home. All you've managed to do was become the exact same as that Uchiha. I never imagined someone could ever reach that level of trash. But I guess you've managed the impossible. Kudos, Sakura. Really. I'm so proud.'**_

She twitched.

 _ **'And Ino. Oh, Ino. You were such good friends.**_ **Were** _ **being the keyword in that sentence. After the years you spent as friends you leave for your own selfish reasons. Can you see her now? Imagine her tears and her broken heart. Her best friend has gone without a single word. "Was she kidnapped? Forced out? Gasp! What if she left on her own? No! Sakura-chan would never!" Wait until she finds out. Wait until she realizes that you left to embrace the enemy.'**_

Sakura stood up straight.

 _ **'Oho! What about-'**_

"SHUT UP!" she screamed, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT FROM YOU! _ESPECIALLY_ FROM YOU!"

All was silent. Sakura fell back onto the riverbank with a wriggling newt in her hand. She reached over to the side, grabbed a jar, and dropped the creature in before twisting the lid shut. Six jars were full, each holding ten newts. That should be enough.

"Sakura-san!"

Bunko flew over to her location and landed on one of the boulders.

"We were able to gather the plants you wanted. They were quite bountiful, actually. We were able to... fill..."

The owl trailed off as she saw the look on Sakura's face. She looked even more tired than when she first saw her leave Otogakure.

"Sakura-san? Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine! So you were saying something about the plants?" she asked, forcing a smile onto her face. After Bunko explained how they were able to collect a couple bushels of every herb, Sakura carefully stored the jars of newts with the Elixir Mud and bounded off to where the boat left her. She evenly separated the jars and plants and placed them into bundles and strapped them to each owl's back.

"Please take these to Otogakure and to a man named Yakushi Kabuto. Tell them they're from me and he should understand."

The owls gave a collective hoot before taking to the skies. Bunko, of course, stayed behind to keep Sakura company on the rest of her journey.

"So, where are we off to next?"

"Takumi Village. I believe we can get some weapons from them."

It was over a week's worth of travel to Kawa no Kuni, because she took the long way around to avoid stepping foot in Fire. Takumi Village lay near the border between Kawa and the country that housed Amegakure, and Sakura was thankful that it was rather far from the main shinobi village.

The thing about Takumi Village was that it was an entire community dedicated to the Arts. Or more specifically- battle craft. They once were widely renowned for their skills in making weapons and had one point in time sold to many shinobi villages around the world. But as time crawled by, their clientele began developing weapon making skills of their own, thus making their work obsolete. If Sakura could convince them into selling Otogakure weapons, not only would she have tools of the finest craftsmanship, but she'd have another village to support her. So once she was granted an audience with the leader, he heard her out and nodded.

"Sure."

Sakura furrowed her brow.

"Sure...? That's it? No conditions? No questions? No... No nothing?"

"Nope."

When he saw the look of utter confusion cross her face, he gave her a bitter smile.

"I've been a leader for many years, Haruno-san. I know what it's like to have a struggling village. We were like that once. Not too long ago, Takumi suddenly went under. We asked every single village we used to sell weapons to. _Every single one_. But we were ignored and left to suffer in silence. I don't want to see that happen to another village. So we'll help. I understand that you don't have all the money now, but you can pay in the future." he said. Sakura openly gaped at him for a few moments before regaining her senses and offering a deep bow.

"Thank you so much! I promise you, I will send you all the money I owe you for all the tools and weapons!"

He quickly waved her up, his smile turning warm. In all his years, he'd seen his fair share of good people. They came in all shapes, sizes, and ages, but this young woman that stood in front of him had to be one of the top ones on the list. Haruno Sakura seemed oddly familiar to him. She was like that one kunoichi, what was her name, the current Hokage? Very confident in herself with a determination that shone like no other.

"Actually... there is one thing I request."

Sakura's eyes glimmered.

"Of course! Anything you ask of, sir!"

"If ever in the future we need help and we ask you, please come to our aid. For as long as this treaty stands, please don't ignore us."

She saluted and flashed a bright grin.

"You have my word."

Jomae Village was the next and last place on her list. Their shinobi specialized in espionage and were quite the force to be reckoned with. The minute she stepped up to the village gates, she was regarded with high suspicion and immediately brought to the village head. He was far older than she was with gray hair pulled back in a ponytail and a hanging mustache of equal color.

"So you've come to ask of an alliance, you say?" he mused. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. My name i-"

"Haruno Sakura. Yes, I know. A village that thrives on espionage, remember?" he said, "A sannin's former apprentice who has also been on Konoha's red alert list for quite some time now. And now you're Oto's leader, hm... Are you aware how much money's on your head? It's quite a lot. A very hefty bounty, if I must say."

Sakura's fingers twitched over her kunai pouch.

"Is that going to be a problem?" she questioned slowly. He gave a hearty laugh.

"Good heavens, no! Do you have any idea how much the Jomae Village hates the Five Great Shinobi Nations? They think they're better than everyone else- casting us smaller countries and villages aside and ignoring our pleas for help. But you are quite the interesting case. You left one of the strongest villages in the _entire world_ for Otogakure. The place that no one cares about. And you know what they say- the enemy of my enemy is my friend." he grinned. He laughed again, "So, what is it that you need from us?"

"Some of your shinobi." she began, "The chuunin and jounin of Otogakure do own up to their titles, but just barely. I can't get enough ANBU to train all of them, as they're outside the village cashing in bounties. And really, I only have _fifteen_ ANBU. So I request that you lend me some of your shinobi to train mine. I'll pay you back for their services, I assure you."

He mulled over her plan.

"You have an odd request. I don't think I've ever heard of a leader being so open with other countries, much less their villages... I'll send you the shinobi you need."

::

The shock Sakura kept giving him never really seemed to settle.

First came the flock of owls that arrived to the village. Marisu herself said that the amount of plants and mud that was delivered was astounding. She wasn't expecting so much, and what they were delivered could last up to an entire years. Next came four large crates, each stamped with the Takumi Village symbol.

One crate was filled completely with kunai and shuriken. They weren't made of the usual dark gray metal, but something that gave it a mirror effect. The kunai hilts were wrapped in taut purple bandages, and the shuriken with a purple lining in the center. The second box had senbon, files, chakra wire. Next, the third box was filled to the brim with eggplant purple hitai-ates. Lastly, the fourth box held all the basic medical supplies. There were needles, scalpels, forceps, surgical staples... There were so many supplies. Weapons. Instruments. Surely, Sakura couldn't have done more.

Kabuto was proved wrong a couple of weeks later. A group of shinobi in brown flak jackets appeared at the village gates with an order to re-train all chuunin and jounin. After Kabuto introduced them to Otogakure's forces, he walked to the top of the Otokage Tower and gazed at the village below.

It was getting better. With everything Sakura had done, Otogakure's road to recovery had been paved and assured. It would take time, yes, but for once this village had hope. A small sliver; attainable and brighter than everything he had ever seen before. He looked up to see a Great Horned Owl flying towards him and landing on the railing.

"A message." she said.

He untied the slip of paper on the owl's leg and unrolled it.

 _To anyone who receives this letter,_

 _I'll make my return in three days. Once I'm back, I'll attend to every and all situations._

 _Haruno Sakura_

Kabuto sighed and raised his eyes once again, gaze zeroing in on the gates. This was the decision he was going to make.

And honestly, he didn't think he'd have it any other way.

::

When Sakura stepped into Otogakure, she was greeted with respectful bows and cheerful welcome back's from everyone she passed. She was spoken to so many times that her face remained a dark red until she made it to her office. She was thankful for finally being able to take in a familiar sight. But the office was organized for once. Papers were stacked in neat piles atop her desk, and books and scrolls were well arranged on the shelves and floor space.

 _ **'Heh. But look who failed to make an appearance.'**_

Sakura shook her head. She wasn't expecting him to stay anyways.

She made her way over to the desk chair and sunk down. She supposed that she could start with the paperwork that made itself plentiful in her absence. It was going to be just like the work Tsunade dumped on her, wouldn't it? It couldn't be that bad. Straightening up, Sakura took a pen from her drawer and started to read the first document.

There were a couple of knocks on her door.

"Ah. Come in."

"Sorry I could greet you when you first came back. I was dealing with a situation in the hospital." someone said as they entered with a tray of tea in one hand and an envelope in the other, "And I thought you'd like some lemon balm tea. It'll help you get through all the work that's cut out for you today."

Sakura couldn't contain a smile as Kabuto set down a cup in front of her and poured some tea. He then handed her the envelope.

"This came for you a while back. It appeared on your desk one day and no one seems to know who it came from." he informed.

"Oh?"

She slit the side open with a kunai and out came a note and a check. She picked up the check first, noting that it was anonymous and-

"One-One BILLION ryo?!" she exclaimed incredulously, "Did someone just donate one billion ryo to us? Who in hell would do that?!"

Sakura quickly read through the paper that came with it.

 _Please accept the small donation, Haruno Sakura. Do what you will with the money, and I will watch Otogakure grow. And once it has, I'll pay you a visit and give you an offer._

 _Keep in mind that it would be a mistake to refuse._

::

 **Nearly all the information used in this story is found on either** _ **.com**_ **or _._**


	9. The Man Who Called Himself God

Thirteen months.

Thirteen months had swept by and she hadn't realized it.

Sakura took Otogakure by storm, spending the first six months making the biggest changes within the village. She built homes, clinics, schools, businesses- making the village begin to prosper. Slowly, the people's minimum wage began to rise and the average person could afford their own home and half food on the table every night, even having spare money to spend on the little temptations of life.

Shinobi were getting stronger each passing moment, it seemed. Sakura's new curriculum was approved and slightly altered by the Nadeshiko kunoichi as they taught incoming academy students. Those students were learning more, becoming more physically able, and acting more disciplined than they were before. And when they became genin, Sakura noted with pride that they were actually a tad bit stronger than the usual Konoha genin team. They were certainly stronger than hers.

The chuunin and jounin had also improved exceptionally over time. Their stat numbers steadily increased until they were up by five or six points, some even skyrocketing to improving up to ten or eleven! She truly and vigorously thanked the Jomae shinobi that stayed in her village for four months and trained her own to their truest potential. With such an increase in chuunin and jounin, that also meant an increase in the ANBU sector as well. In those thirteen months, she went from fifteen operatives to over one hundred fifty.

Sakura also learned that Otogakure was a genjutsu-inclined village. Many of her shinobi had an affinity for it, and those who knew they did fully utilized it in many creative ways. Once she learned that she had a genjutsu affinity of her own, she asked around to see if someone could help her raise her skill in it. Others utilized genjutsu through optical illusions, hypnotism, sight, or some form of sound (like singing or instruments), but Sakura found that she could induce a genjutsu through skin-on-skin contact. It proved that it could work extremely well with her close-range combat style.

"You can activate a genjutsu with your hands?" Kabuto sighed, "Oh god. Please tell me you aren't going to use that on me so you can sneak off to get sake."

Sakura feigned hurt and placed a hand over her heart.

"Why, I'd never!"

He stared at her for a long while before his eyes glinted dangerously.

"How long have I been in this genjutsu?"

"Uh... thirty minutes now? Now look-"

Kabuto dispelled the illusion and stalked to Sakura's favorite bar. He threw open the door and glared around for that head of pink hair. The other patrons paid him no mind- this type of thing happened every now and then and they were far too used to it by now. Sakura spun around in her seat in shock.

"Thirty minutes?!" she cried, "How did you realize it in thirty minutes?! You beat your last record by almost an hour- GAH! I knew I should've put a clone instead! It worked last time!"

He grabbed her by the back of the shirt and dragged her back to the office.

"You're seventeen. You're not even legal. Now do the rest of your work or I'll tell the vendors not to sell you mochi for the rest of the month."

Sakura pouted.

"Fine, _kaa-san_."

Something in Kabuto changed when he decided to stay as her assistant. He no longer put on a fake smile whenever someone was around or kept his opinions to himself. Now, he openly voiced what he thought and incited many banters with the Otokage: something he never dared try with Orochimaru. Sakura also found that he was actually quite sarcastic at times and liked to poke fun at those who riled easily. He was certainly different from the person she thought he was, but he was being himself. And she was glad for that.

But he was so bossy when it came to paperwork.

With Otogakure growing as much as it was, it was beginning to draw some attention from people outside the the country. Merchants and clients began flooding in through Oto's newly built wooden gates, creating more business and bustle inside the freshly cemented walls. Even with such a success, she was still at the edge of the Five Great Shinobi Nation's radar. Oto wasn't big enough to be a large threat. Yet.

So with all the time that passed, Sakura had pretty much forgotten about the letter that came with the check. It was at the back of her mind and never raised any alarm. That is, until, that anonymous donor showed up at her desk.

::

Thirteen months.

Thirteen months and they had absolutely no lead on Itachi.

At this point, Sasuke stopped being angry at what little progress he and his team were making and sort of took each of their failures with a disgruntled sort of acceptance. Though killing Itachi was the largest thought on his mind, it wasn't the only one. Every place they looked for Itachi, Sasuke had unconsciously been looking for Sakura as well.

Word about finding her had died down considerably as her rank slowly trickled up to A. It's been over a year now and she was becoming just another face in the international bingo book. Konoha shinobi had stopped actively looking for a trail and seemed to just give up all hopes of ever finding her. According to his information, she disappeared into thin air one day, not leaving a note or trail or saying a single goodbye.

Sasuke frowned at the thought. Sakura couldn't have done something like that willingly. Something like this was so out of character and so unexpected that he wouldn't be surprised if she was coerced into this situation. She was, wasn't she? Taken against her will or blackmailed into something that she couldn't refuse. That had to be it.

Because this was Sakura after all.

He knew her. She'd never leave like that.

"Oi, Sasuke!" Suigetsu called, "Come on! We're heading over to the next town!"

Sasuke exhaled softly and turned to leave with the rest of Team Hebi.

::

Sakura's mouth ran dry at the mere sight of her visitor, and Kabuto's hand tightened around his clipboard so much so that the wood almost splintered. Pein's lips tilted up at their reactions.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Yakushi-san. Haruno-san." he greeted. His sonorous voice sent uncomfortable shivers down their spines, "From what I've seen and heard from this village, it seems you've put my... benefaction to good use. Excellent."

Sakura's stomach dropped.

"You were the one who donated the money?" she asked, finding her voice, "That's just... what? What benefit could we possibly provide for you?"

"Has it slipped your mind that I'm a village leader much like yourself?" Pein mused, "I've come to talk about a treaty between Oto and Ame."

"Ah... I see." she commented quietly. She opened her drawer to pull out a clean sheet of paper and felt her stomach drop even farther as Pein continued speaking.

"But of course, I'm here on Akatsuki business as well. Do you remember what I said? What I'm about to offer would be a mistake to refuse."

::

Thirteen months.

Thirteen months and the pain only got worse.

Naruto wasn't as cheerful as before. He would still smile and try to show everyone that he really was alright, but they all knew that he wasn't. No one was. Losing Sasuke was one thing, and Sakura had been there to hold him together after that whole ordeal. But at least they knew where Sasuke was. Sakura had no reason, absolutely no reason, to leave. The only logical explanation they could think up was that she had gone after Sasuke, but she emptied her apartment. Released her contract with the slugs. Was determined to cut off all ties with her village and all her friends and family.

How are you supposed to feel about someone who disappeared like they never existed?

As time passed by, Sai's understanding of emotions and normal human concepts grew to an almost normal level. Recently, he fully came to know the extent of how much Sakura's departure hurt. She was the one that first tried to befriend him. She had been the one that hit him more times than he could count, true, but what mattered was that she was there. Her and Naruto. Now that that she was gone, he felt that there was a small hole in his chest that he couldn't fill no matter what. It meant that he was missing the company of his friend.

He really hoped that she had gone somewhere and wasn't dead.

Kakashi couldn't help but think that this incident was the heavens telling him that he fucked up so royally and that these were the consequences of his actions. What was this stroke of bad luck? Two of his students had left the village- one for power and the other for who knows what. He promised that he would believe in his students and that he would protect them until the very end. But the very end wasn't supposed to be now.

He found himself at the memorial stone not too much later, eye half-lidded and hands shoved deeply in his pockets.

 _'Obito. Rin. I... I couldn't save the team I swore to protect. But why am I apologizing to you two?'_

His shoulders slumped forward.

 _'I should be apologizing to the three of them.'_

::

Ten holographic figures stood around a chest-high lantern with nine of them having absolutely no clue what was going on. It had been a long while since every single member was gathered together in an unexpected fashion. They weren't even close to getting the next jinchuriki.

"This meeting is quite out of the blue, hm." Deidara remarked as he stared as his leader suspiciously, "Is this even about the tailed beasts?"

"No. This is something that concerns the organization as a whole. The Akatsuki will be integrated into a village and will perform as regularly named and legal shinobi."

Eyes shifted to one another curiously.

"You want us to operate in Ame?" Kisame asked.

"I didn't say anything about Ame. You'll be working in Otogakure under Orochimaru's successor." he supplied. The feedback was instantaneous. The cavern filled with incredulous murmurs, the words 'Uchiha Sasuke' being mentioned many times. Pein cleared his throat.

"There is a slight twist to this agreement." he said, "I will send you to Otogakure one by one to stay in the village for an entire month. At the end of said month, you can either decide to stay as an Akatsuki member or become an Otogakure shinobi and take full orders under her."

Everyone suddenly grew silent.

"Her?" Konan questioned softly.

"Yes. Orochimaru's successor is Haruno Sakura."

The shortest of the holograms stalled at the name.


	10. April

**Day 1**

He wasn't sure what exactly went through Pein's mind when he heard the plan for the Akatsuki. He supposed that it would be logical if they did become Amegakure shinobi, but one of Otogakure's? What was that man thinking? Then again, he never knew what ran through his leader's mind. This was only his second year in the organization, anyways. He also wore the pink outlier ring around his neck: _gen_ , or _mysterious_. The ring itself was for optional use if the Akatsuki ever needed an extra member. It took some time, but he was finally able to convince Zetsu to let him join.

He wanted to make up for all the time he spent in rehabilitation. Zetsu had been the one who saved him from being completely crushed beneath that boulder and was the one that cared for him the years it took for his body to heal, have limbs replaced, and return to its relatively normal state- save for the excessive amount of scars that expanded over an entire half of his body.

Tobi scratched the back of his head, thoughts returning back to the situation at hand. Haruno Sakura. He didn't think he heard that name before. He walked up to the village gates clad only in his black, armor plated ensemble, green scarf, and trademark orange mask. Pein advised him not to wear his Akatsuki cloak so that he wouldn't immediately alarm the shinobi or give false warning to an oncoming attack. As he walked up to village gates, he saw a man wearing a dark purple sleeveless v-neck over a short sleeved fishnet shirt. A white Otogakure hitai-ate hung around his waist like a sash and round rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. At Tobi's approach, he looked up from the small notebook in his hands.

"Tobi-san, was it?"

"Yes!" he chirped, "Leader-sama sent me here to stay for the whole month."

"Yakushi Kabuto." the man introduced, "Sakura-sama's assistant and right hand. Though it seemed you came at an inopportune time. Sakura-sama is currently making her rounds about the village."

Tobi walked beside Kabuto with his head cocked to the side.

"Rounds?" he questioned.

"Every time Rinha-san, our Chief of Medicine, goes to check up on all the clinics, medical centers, and pharmacies in the village, Sakura-sama accompanies her." Kabuto supplied, "I'm positive she does it partially because she knows she can get out of paper work for the next few days, but I know how much she cares for any and all patients."

He pushed up his glasses, a menacing aura suddenly shrouding him.

"Besides, I can give her even more paperwork once she's back at her office."

Tobi shivered.

They walked down a street with a banner over it that read **Medical District** in thick, purple writing. Tobi felt a twinge of nostalgia as he passed by many patients, adults and children alike, with smiles on their faces despite any injuries or illnesses they might have. He sighed.

 _'She would've loved this.'_

They headed over to clinic with a name Tobi swore he'd never imagined to see plastered on a building wall.

Juinjutsu and Experimentation

"Um... what's this place, Yakushi-san?"

Inside were people that didn't look completely human.

"Orochimaru's practices weren't something you'd call... _ethical_." Kabuto explained, "His subjects always ended up deformed, genetically altered, or given a curse mark. After all the people from the hideouts were relocated here, those who wanted to be rid of Orochimaru's taint swamped the hospital and other rehabilitation centers. After I reported this to Sakura-sama, she had this institution built and personally researched everything Orochimaru had done."

Tobi slowly digested this information. Orochimaru's successor was someone who tried to undo all his work? That didn't add up quite right. After the two of them ambled through the hallways in silence, they approached an open room.

"-r-really?! Aren't I way too old? I just turned twenty-nine last month..."

"Don't worry so much, Isaribi-chan. Otogakure is still in its early stages of shinobi development and nearly all the Academy classes have inconsistent ages. And given your skills, I can put you in the oldest class. If you can get passing marks on the end of the year exam, you can graduate this June and be placed on a genin team."

"Uwa! That's amazing! But my scales..."

"Should continue to disappear within the next few weeks, if my research proves correct."

"Thank you, Sakura-sama! Thank you so much!"

Isaribi gave Sakura a deep bow before she was taken aside by one of the nurses to continue with the examination. Sakura stepped out and smiled at the two who were waiting for her out in the hallway. Kabuto had taken out his small notebook and was scribbling something in it as she approached the Akatsuki member.

"You must be Tobi-san! Nice to meet you, I'm Haruno Sakura." she greeted as she extended a hand. Tobi took it with both of his own and shook it animatedly.

"Nice to meet you too, Haruno-sama!"

 _'When I look at you, why do I see her?'_

 **Day 8**

Tobi was starting to doubt that someone like her could be the person Orochimaru chose to succeed him. If anything, Uchiha Sasuke was the person he expected to be in her very position. But having spied on him a good number of times, he knew that the boy was too far gone in his revenge that only something that stuck him to the core could knock him out of his senses.

He couldn't think of one thing that would.

Back onto the topic of Sakura... When he looked at her, he couldn't see any aspect of Orochimaru. Not her mannerisms, her speech, her attitude, nor her way of thinking. She acted with children like they were her own- giving them encouragement when she saw them, but not coddling too much when they got hurt so they would learn their lesson.

As he meandered through the village to familiarize himself with its layout, he saw a flyers stuck to one of the building's walls. He snatched one of them and read the bright, bubbly words.

 _'It wouldn't hurt to take one, would it?'_

He folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

 **Day 20**

When he was sure Kabuto was off on business and nowhere near the Otokage Tower, he stepped into Sakura's office.

"Haruno-sama... could I ask for a favor?"

She looked up from reading her reports curiously.

"Sure? What is it?"

Tobi raised a hand to his mask and hesitated a few seconds before he pulled it off. Sakura's eyes widened, though not at the deep scars that covered half of his face, but at the one red eye that stared back at her.

"Would it be possible to perform an optical implant?"

"... Yes. Those types of procedures are mostly done by either Marisu-san or myself. And due to your, how should I say it, predicament, I'll be the one to do it for you. I think my schedule is cleared for later today- will that be alright for you?" she asked. Tobi slipped his mask back on.

"That'd be perfect. Thank you, Haruno-sama."

 **Day 22**

 _He couldn't feel anything but an uncomfortable weight on one side of his body. The left? The right? He didn't know. He was too tired to think about it. The suffocating dust finally settled in the area as he looked to the side, his two teammates trying to get up shakily._

 _"Rin? Kakashi? Are you okay?" he asked softly. His throat burned with every word. They turned to face them, eyes widening in sheer horror._

 _"Obito!" Kakashi cried. The young jounin ran over and tried to push whatever it was that lay atop his friend. Obito looked above him. Ah, a boulder? Then it was no use._

 _"Stop... it's alright. I don't think I'll make it out of this one..."_

 _But Kakashi persevered. He punched at the boulder and slammed his shoulder into it._

 _"My side is numb, Kakashi. I'm done for."_

 _He fell to his knees, fists pounding the earth and curses falling from his lips. Tears poured from Rin's eyes as she sunk down to Obito's side._

 _"Ah... how could I forget?" he murmured, "I'm the only one who didn't get you a present for making jounin. I couldn't figure out what to get you, but I just thought of something... My sharingan. Take it as your own. Regardless of what Konoha thinks of you, you're a really great shinobi. One of the best I've ever seen. Take it. Please. So I can see the future through your eyes."_

Tobi's blurred vision focused on the white ceiling above him. He felt the cloth bandages wrapped around the left side of his face and thought it was odd. For most of his life, bandages had always hid the right side of his body. He gingerly sat up and rubbed at his free eye with his right hand. Maybe it was a mistake to ask for the transplant. Sakura now knew his secret and-

He quickly stopped rubbing his eye and felt the uncovered side of his face. It was much smoother than he remembered.

What?

He raised his hand to the light and turned it this way and that, amazed at the lack of damaged skin. His entire arm was laced with white, slightly bumpy lines and when he opened his hospital gown, he saw that an entire half of his body was the same way. There were two knocks on the door before Kabuto walked through.

"Ah, you're awake. It's been a full nine hours and the nurses were beginning to worry that you had slipped into a coma."

"I... Was I? Sorry. But all I needed was the transplant. Why are my scars...?"

"Faded? I don't know. Sakura-sama spent hours healing though I advised against it. She's asleep now, suffering from mild chakra exhaustion. She'll be fine later today." he said. Tobi frowned and looked down at the sheets.

"She'd go that far for a stranger?"

"Of course." Kabuto replied airily as he looked down at the man's medical report, "She's Haruno Sakura."

 **Day 30**

"It's good to see you up and walking." Sakura grinned, "What can I do for you?"

Tobi, maskless and wearing a short sleeved shirt for the first time in years, pulled out a folded paper from his pants pocket. He unfolded it and set it down on her desk.

"I was wondering if this position was still open."

His heterochromatic eyes lit up.

"If it is, I'd like to take it."

She picked up the flyer and glanced down at it, grin growing wider if it were even possible. Kabuto took one look at the bright coloring and smirked. Sakura reached into the box beneath her desk and picked up a brand new Otogakure hitai-ate.

"Good luck on your new job." she bid as she tossed it over. The flyer sat discarded at the edge of her desk.

Wanted: Shinobi Academy Sensei

::

 **To those who might get upset that I changed Tobi's backstory because it isn't canon:**

 **Bro. I made Sakura a** _ **Kage**_ **.**

 **How canon do you think this story is going to be?**


	11. May

**Day 3**

Haruno Sakura was shorter than he expected her to be. And way younger. Kisame thought that if she was someone Orochimaru chose to take his place, she'd be someone just as creepy and intimidating as the snake proved himself to be. But he was proved completely wrong, _severely_ , when he first met her face to face.

She was a young woman whose height barely brushed the top of his shoulders. Her eyes were bright green and her absurdly colored hair was cut short to just about chin length. Sakura first welcomed him with a wide grin and a firm handshake before she had to report to the hospital for some sort of business. Kisame was left floored at her friendliness and the contrasting image of his expectations that he sought her out two days later, determined to figure out what Orochimaru could have seen in her.

The first place he decided to look for her, of course, was at her office. As he walked down the hall to get there, he passed by an orange haired kunoichi.

"If you're looking for Sakura-sama, she's not in at the moment." she said. Kisame turned around.

"Oh. Where is she, then?"

She motioned him over to the window and pointed to an area just outside the village.

"Sakura-sama trains there once every two weeks. Careful where you step, though. If she's practicing taijutsu, you might fall into one of the fissures in the ground."

His face scrunched up in confusion. Fissures?

::

Yeah. Fissures.

The moment he stepped onto the training grounds, he saw that craters, split earth, and broken trees littered every square foot of the place. Kisame whistled, impressed at the level of damage the young leader could inflict. With only taijutsu, nonetheless. When he journeyed further, he saw that her taijutsu wasn't the only impressive thing about her.

Sakura was in the midst of the destruction performing one-armed push ups with Kabuto sitting cross-legged on a towel on her back. Sweat drenched every part he could see of her and even flowed down her chin a great deal, creating a small puddle beneath her face. Her muscles rippled with every dip.

"You also have a meeting with Shizuka-sama in Nadeshiko Village next week." Kabuto said, staring down at his little notebook, "You'll need to select someone to go with you. Shall I list available ANBU?"

"No... I can... look myself... la... ter... What... number am I... on?"

"One hundred fifty-two. Four hundred forty-eight more on your left arm and you'll be finished.." he informed. Sakura sighed but didn't complain. She raised her eyes to the side and saw Kisame making his way over.

"Hoshi... gaki-san... what can I... do for you?"

Kabuto cut him off before he could reply.

"Hoshigaki-san, how much do you weigh?" he asked. Sakura groaned while Kisame merely raised an eyebrow.

"...Around eighty-three kg, I think."

"How wonderful, Sakura-sama." he mused as he stood up, "You can gain an additional eighteen kg for your training. Now Hoshigaki-san, please sit on her."

"You sound like an idiot." she grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Kisame came up to her and awkwardly positioned himself to sit cross-legged on her back. Kabuto sat down beside them as he continued to read off Sakura's schedule and inform her of any problem or changes that may have arisen. Kisame kept quiet the entire time, mostly drawn into his own thoughts. He could see why the people liked her so much. She didn't seem careless at all and made decisions based purely on the people's and village's benefit rather than her own. She wasn't half bad. Really.

And she had the strength of a hundred men if she was able to keep training with him on her back.

"You know, I wouldn't mind heading off to Nadeshiko with you." Kisame commented. Sakura paused, throwing a look of surprise over her shoulder.

"Eh? Really?"

He shrugged.

"Why not? You can't really go wrong with a shark guy."

 _'Besides,'_ he thought, _'You managed to get Tobi to take his mask off when no one else could. I want to know what's different about you.'_

 **Day 11**

Kisame was used to the stares people gave him. He got it- he was tall and blue and had these huge-ass muscles that gave everyone the impression that he'd kill a person for accidentally bumping into him. But theses stares...

"Oi. Haruno-sama." he whispered, glancing around him, "I have two questions."

She looked over at him.

"What are they?"

"Okay, well one, why am I seeing mostly kunoichi? Not that I have a problem with it, it's just that kunoichi aren't the dominant power force in other villages."

Sakura grinned.

"This is a village of matrilineal lines." she answered. He bobbed his head in understanding before clearing his throat.

"Okay. So two, why the hell are they staring at me like I'm a _discount piece of meat?_ "

Sakura coughed to hide her laughter.

"You see, marriage in Nadeshiko is much different than any other village." she explained, her grin growing wider, "They go out to find men strong enough to defeat them. If they find someone capable of doing so, they bring that man back to village and marry them. Because of this, women have been growing stronger and stronger with each generation."

Kisame was processing this slowly.

"So they're looking at me... because they think I'm strong."

"Pretty much."

A group of kunoichi whistled in their direction.

"Hey, what's your stat total?"

"That sword looks like it'll deal _a lot_ of damage. Wanna go a round?"

"Whaddya' got under that shirt, sweet cheeks? Bet you've got battle scars for miles."

He was flabbergasted. Sakura actually laughed at the expression on his face and clutched her stomach as she wiped tears from her eyes. When he asked what they were doing, she laughed even harder.

"What do you think? They're catcalling!"

" _Are you serious?!_ "

 **Day 12**

"I've never felt so violated. And they didn't even touch me."

The meeting was a short, sweet one that proposed a student exchange program between Nadeshiko and Oto. It went on for no more than an hour, the document was signed, and Sakura and Kisame stayed in the village overnight. After leaving the village, they traveled half a day before stopping at a local bar at the ports to wait for a ship to take them back to the mainland. They settled on seats by the shoreline where they could see the full moon's rays caress the ocean. Not that the view really mattered with Kisame slumped over his pint of beer and Sakura chuckling at his expense.

"You can't really blame the way you look." she said. She took a swig of her sake as he slumped down even further.

"The next time a woman complains about catcalling, I'll take it seriously."

"You learn something new everyday, eh?"

He brought himself back up and downed half his drink.

"In the worst way possible." he sighed. He eyed her for a few seconds, "Are you even old enough to be drinking alcohol?"

She stared at him pointedly.

"Irrelevant. And it shouldn't matter if I'm able to drink you under the table." she warned. Kisame let out a booming laugh.

"Wanna try?"

Sakura didn't say a word, merely smirking and calling for six glasses of Awamori sake to be delivered to them.

::

Kabuto would kill both of them if he knew how wasted they got.

Nine bottles of sake and six pints of beer later, it was midnight and they were walking down the street to look for something to do. The two of them had ridiculously high alcohol tolerances and, unfortunately, couldn't decide a winner because they both had room for more. Kisame and Sakura settled on a truce and left the bar with that, stumbling and tripping over their own feet. Not too long after that, Sakura used her medical ninjutsu to detoxify the alcohol in their systems and return them to their sober states.

"That's a handy little trick. You use it often?"

"Of course. I can't be drunk when I do my paperwork, can I?"

Kisame chuckled.

"I guess not."

The night life in this port city was stunning. Neon signs crammed in the spaces just above their heads and beautiful women hung around at every building entrance, beckoning men to spend their money and keep them company for a few hours. Kisame glanced over to the side, seeing the curious look on Sakura's face as she looked around the district. She was young and had managed to save an entire village from crumbling, but what about her made Tobi leave the Akatsuki and take orders from Otogakure?

"I said get out!"

Kisame and Sakura looked behind them to see a few men get pushed out of the front doors of a club some ways down the road. An angry woman stomped out.

"I won't stand for those actions to me or all the other hostesses!"

One of the men, presumably the leader of his group, grabbed the woman by the front of her dress and tossed her to the ground.

"We paid you _our_ money and _this_ is the service we get for it? Ungrateful bitch!"

Kisame sighed at the typical nature of that situation and looked back to the front.

"So do-"

Sakura wasn't next to him. He looked all around him until he saw her stalking angrily towards the scene. The man raised his fist to strike the hostess, but Sakura caught it inches from the woman's face.

"That's not any way to treat a lady." she chastised. Sakura snapped his wrist before turning around to help the woman to her feet. She gave the hostess her best smile.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" she asked. The hostess, mesmerized by this stranger's kindness, quickly nodded.

"Y-Yes I am! Thank you very much!"

Sakura nodded and turned back to the men, a deep scowl set in on her lips. One of the groupies stepped forward and launched a punched her way. She sidestepped and elbowed him in the nose, sending him flying backwards a few yards. The last man took out a kunai and shot it at her with nothing more than genin level power. Sakura caught it between two fingers and kneed him in the stomach. She then crouched down in front of the first man she dealt with.

"I don't care how much money you spent or how much you think you deserve, but you will respect other people, especially the ones who spend their time serving you." she smiled, "People are not to be treated as things. Do I make myself clear?"

Kisame watched wide-eyed as the men scurried away and the hostesses of the club gather around Sakura.

 _'Wow.'_

 **Day 21**

"Was there anything in particular that made you want to stay?"

Tobi looked up from his desk.

"What do you mean, senpai?"

The Academy had let out for the day, leaving Tobi to grade his student's test papers. Kisame sat on one of the desks as he cleaned Samehada.

"I meant here. In Otogakure. You've wanted to join Akatsuki for the longest time, but you chose to stay. Why?"

Tobi set down his pen and rubbed at the orange eye patch that covered his sharingan eye.

"Haruno-sama's one of the kindest people I've ever met. And you've seen her! She doesn't treat us any differently 'cause we're Akatsuki. Plus, she's strong. Didn't you see what she did to the training grounds?! It was amazing! She's just like the sannin!"

Kisame furrowed his brow.

"Like the sannin?"

"Didn't you know, senpai? Haruno-sama used to train under Tsunade when she was still a Konoha shinobi!"

It was rare for someone to defect from Konoha. That village in particular was renowned for having the most loyal of shinobi. Something had to go dangerously wrong for someone to even think of leaving those walls. His partner was one. And his partner's younger brother was another. Both were equally frightening in their own right and had understandable reasons for abandoning their home. So the question stood-

"Why did she leave?"

"No one really knows." Tobi frowned, "I did ask a lot of people, but they said she and Yakushi-san showed up one day and took control of the village. Also, I did some research outside..."

He leaned forward and pitched his voice low like he was whispering a rumor.

"... Konoha's still looking for her. She's been gone for 'bout one and half years and they still haven't found any leads. They say she went poof! Like the never existed! Isn't that weird?"

It was more than weird. Everyone has a reason for doing what they do.

What was hers?

"But I don't think that really matters." Tobi continued as he went back to grading papers, "I didn't know what to do at first, so I started thinking. We're not really good people... but we were given a choice. We could stay in the Akatsuki and be on the run forever, or we could be here. We could join another village. All of us messed up the first time but, I mean, this could be our second chance!"

He smiled sadly.

"It's a second chance for me, at least."

 _'A second chance... huh?'_

 **Day 31**

"Oi, Haruno-sama. I've got another question for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"When I wear that Otogakure hitai-ate, does it have to be purple? I'm more of a navy type of guy. Compliments my skin tone."

::

 **83 kg ~ 183 lbs**

 **18 kg ~ 40 lbs**


	12. June

"I think there's something I should lay down so you get the bigger picture." Kisame said. He sat down in front of Sakura's desk, brand new navy hitai-ate glistening on his forehead. He wore something similar to his Seven Swordsmen days- a sleeveless charcoal gray shirt, black pants, gray shin guards, and a waist guard. Sakura leaned forward curiously.

"Oh?"

"This whole Akatsuki a month thing. Like every other member, I have absolutely no idea what Pein-sama's doing this for. But I do know one thing. None of us actively sought out the organization. We were recruited after leaving our villages, some of us being forced after losing a battle. So I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to bring everyone over."

The door suddenly swung open, Tobi rushing in with an armful of papers. He exclaimed various apologies before setting down a small stack of papers on Sakura's desk and jogging back out. Kisame raised an eyebrow.

"Academy graduation is coming up." she informed, motioning for him to continue, "You were saying?"

"Well most, if not all, would transfer over here. The real question isn't if they would leave the Akatsuki. It's if they'd rather follow Pein or follow you. Tobi and I were sold real quick, but as for the others... they might take a little extra convincing."

 **Day 2**

He remembered her. Vividly, if he might add. Haruno Sakura was the one who killed his partner about three years back through sheer strength and a grand enough knowledge to concoct an antidote to Sasori's poison. She was smart, strong, and capable, but she was so young. Eighteen, right? She couldn't be as great as everyone said she was. What could she possibly know about leading a village or controlling a large amount of shinobi at her young age?

Deidara wandered about the village, gazing at the shapes of the buildings and colors. He hummed to himself at the aesthetically pleasing designs of the village. The place gave off a calm, relaxing vibe that he wouldn't mind mingling in-

Someone crashed into him.

"Watch where you're going, un!"

"I-I'm sorry it's just that I'm in a hurry and I had all these papers to..."

That someone raised his eye and blinked.

"Ah! Deidara-senpai! You're here this month?" he asked with a wide smile. Deidara narrowed his eyes. The voice sounded annoyingly familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Have we met?" he questioned slowly. The person donned a look of pure horror.

"Senpai! I've only been gone for two months!" he cried, "Kisame-senpai knew who I was when he saw me but- but I thought we were friends! You don't recognize me? Wah! Deidara-senpai!"

It clicked.

" _Tobi?_ "

Tobi's eye shined.

"Oh thank goodness I thought you forgot about me!" he sighed. Deidara's jaw dropped as he narrowed his eyes even further. Two years he spent wondering what was under that mask, and he never imagined him looking kind of like _Itachi_ of all people. Tobi gazed down at his arms, the look of horror returning to his face.

"The papers! Sorry, senpai I have to do this thing so I'll see you later!" he exclaimed. He waved a goodbye before scuttling off down the road. A few kids across the street stared after him.

"Tobi-sensei looks really busy, doesn't he?" one of them sighed.

"Yeah. But did you hear about Masao-sensei? He fell asleep at his desk and he wouldn't wake up so they started drawing on his face!"

"Really? What a dork!"

Deidara's jaw dropped even further. How and when did that idiot become a teacher?!

 **Day 13**

A hawk tumbled through the window of the Otokage office and crashed into Sakura's desk. It soon popped up, ruffled feathers and all, and offered the note on its leg.

 _Haruno-sama,_

 _A large portion of our people have been poisoned after being invaded by shinobi, and our doctors are not any closer to finding an antidote. It isn't doing considerable damage to their bodies, but it's entering them in comatose states and has begun the process of very slowly shutting down each of their systems. It has come to my knowledge that your village has some very talented medical shinobi. Please, lend us your help._

 _Takumi Village Head, Agano Koji_

Kabuto scratched the back of his head.

"I... don't think we have anyone to spare at the moment. We've had a recent surge of missions and most of our shinobi are busy. If they're not busy, they're not qualified." he said. Sakura frowned. She gave her word to their leader that she'd help them whenever they asked of it. After all Takumi had done for her and for the village, it gave her an even greater reason to not refuse. She wasn't about to let them down.

"I was able to decode Sasori's poison once." she mentioned. Kabuto crossed his arms.

"You can't go alone."

"I know that."

Kabuto would go, but these were active times. Someone had to stay behind and approve all missions requested and document all the mission reports that seemed to flow into the office by the hour. Kisame couldn't go along with her either. He was one of their strongest assets, and with most shinobi out of the village, he needed to be here to insure that Oto wouldn't be at a loss if someone decided to attack.

"Sakura-sama, might I make a suggestion?"

 **Day 14**

"I'm sorry for troubling you with this, you know, not being an Otogakure shinobi and all."

"It's fine, hm. I was getting bored anyways."

Deidara was the best bet she had. All she needed was someone to go with her just in case there was an instance of coming across rogues or hunter-nin. Once they arrived, she would find an antidote, make sure that all affected shinobi were in stable condition, then return to Otogakure quick and simple. No delays. Soon, the two of them came to a fork in the road. Sakura made a step towards the right side.

"What are you doing, un?"

She spun around on her heel.

"Um... going to River Country?"

"It'll take longer down that path. Going down the left side will take us right through Fire and cut us about two days of travel, hm." he said. Sakura bit her lip and considered her options. Going through Fire would run her a far greater chance of being seen by Konoha shinobi, leading her to a high risk of getting captured. But if she went the other way and wasted those two days, the poison would be talking more lives and she would be the one at fault. With Deidara at her side, she supposed that he would help her out if worse comes to worst.

"You're right. Let's head that way."

Their travels were made mostly in silence, and it was really starting to get to Sakura. It was hours into their journey and Deidara had kept that same bored face the entire time. He wasn't particular bothered at anything, and when they took breaks, he spent that time molding small sculptures with his clay. At nightfall, they sat in silence on opposite sides of the campfire. Sakura cleared her throat.

"So, uh, you really like art, huh?"

Smooth.

He shrugged.

"It's a hobby, un."

"Any... future masterpieces?"

He shrugged a second time.

"I'll go out with a bang."

They went into another long bout of silence, nothing but the sound of burning wood filling the seemingly empty woods. Deidara was creating some sort of spider and Sakura took to staring into the fire. The quiet was unsettling, but it only seemed to be bothering her.

 _ **'Oh, like you'd ever get him on your side.'**_

Sakura resisted the urge to rip out her hair.

 _'You've kept your mouth shut for an entire year. Why are you back?'_

Inner laughed.

 _ **'What do you mean? I never left. I've always been here, crawling through your thoughts like a wraith, looking for something interesting to munch on. Looks like I've found one.'**_

Sakura flexed her fingers, not seeing the stare that flickered over to them for a split second.

 _ **'Ah, Deidara. Akatsuki's very own pyromaniac. Do you think he'll blow you up for kicks? Seems like the type. And he even managed to get you in Fire country. You're going to get caught, you know? I guarantee.'**_

She decided to humor her.

 _ **'What makes you so sure?'**_

Inner laughed again, this time borderline hysterical.

 _ **'You know what Kakashi-sensei used to say. Use your senses.'**_

Sakura and Deidara's heads shot up at the same time, eyes locking in a moment of knowing. Fourteen chakra signatures closing in. Fast. _Too_ fast. Something came out out the bushes and shot towards Deidara. He flipped out of the way to avoid it and got his clay packs snatched off his hips in the process. He and Sakura retreated to the opposite end of the clearing, back to back, kunai firmly in their grasp. The shinobi made themselves known, each armed with weapons Sakura easily recognized.

"So you're the bunch that decided to steal from Takumi Village and poison their people." she mused.

"And you're the help." the leader noted distastefully, "Typical. Though I never imagined an Akatsuki and a missing-nin would come to the aid of a mere weapon's village. But no matter. We could take you two in and be filthy rich with the bounties on your heads."

Deidara scoffed.

"You're way in over your heads, hm. Even if I still had my clay, I wouldn't need it to take you down, un."

Sakura said nothing as she slammed her heel into the ground. The earth broke beneath their feet, ground caving in several meters before her. Deidara smirked.

"Not bad, hm."

"Nice to know that you approve."

They launched into battle.

These shinobi really were more talk than bite. They were high-chuunin level at best and were no match for either Sakura or Deidara, much less the two of them working together. The fourteen were down in no more than an hour. Sakura picked up one of their swords and examined it, grimacing at the purple liquid that collected at the tip.

"Deidara-san, did you get hit-?"

She turned around to see Deidara leaned against a tree, hand to his forehead and a thin red line on his cheek.

"Deidara-san!"

Sakura ran towards him and caught him as he drooped forward with half-lidded stare.

"Those weapons were poisoned! What the hell kind of shinobi are you to get hit like that? I don't have any supplies with me right now so you better keep your eyes open or I swear I'll kick your ass!" she hissed. His eyes grew a little wider, not expecting that angry outburst.

"What...?"

"Keep your eyes open for as long as possible, you understand?" she demanded, "I won't allow you to succumb to the poison here! Takumi Village is half a day away... Oi! If I'm annoying enough, will you stay awake?"

He slowly raised his eyes up to her.

"...Huh?"

"You know, annoying! If I keep nagging or something, will that keep you awake? 'Cause I can get loud if I want." she said. Deidara let out an amused huff.

"What are... you, an idiot... hm?"

Sakura grinned.

"I've been called that once or twice."

She hefted him over her shoulder, grabbed his clay bags, and leapt into the trees.

Unfortunately, she was unaware of the other shinobi she would encounter that day.

 **Day 17**

Deidara cracked open his eyes to the sound of a heart monitor and the sight of an IV drip. His head suddenly flooded with the memories of what he saw before he passed out, lips tightening into a thin line. He didn't look up when the door to his room opened or when someone walked up to his bedside to check his vitals.

"It seems that the antidote is working as it should." Sakura smiled, "You should be up on your feet by tomorrow and we can make our way back to the village. So, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

He finally looked up at her.

"You could have turned me in." he said quietly, "He made you an offer and you could have gone back with him."

Sakura sighed.

"How would that benefit me? Otogakure is my home now. Besides, what would have happened to you? I needed to get the poison out of your system or else you would've died. Why would I let that happen?"

After writing down Deidara's information, she placed the clipboard at the foot of his bed and went to check on the other patients.

"... Is he dead, hm?"

"I didn't check. You lost consciousness and I had to get you to Takumi Village."

He hummed and closed his eyes. As Sakura shut the door behind her, Inner's psychotic laughter unrelentingly resonating in her head.

 **'** _ **I can't believe you! I can't!'**_

Her laughter grew even louder.

 _ **'He could be dead right now and you chose Deidara instead!'**_

Sakura felt sick.

 _ **'I can't believe you listened to me! You left him to die! You left him to die!'**_

She couldn't hear anything anymore. Not the bustle of the hospital. Not the cheery talk of the doctors and nurses. Not the thanks she was given for finding the antidote. Just Inner's shrill voice piercing her skull.

 _ **'You left Asuma to die!'**_

 **Day 30**

Deidara stared down at his old Iwa hitai-ate as he ran his thumb down the deep gash through his previous village's symbol. Wanting to return to his old village wasn't a new thought, but it was always some far away dream ever since he joined the Akatsuki. Even if he could someone break the ties with the organization he was forced into, Iwa would never welcome him back. Not after stealing their kinjutsu, bombing much of the village, and killing a good number of his former comrades.

But here...

Otogakure was a good village. The people were nice enough and they had their own artistic abilities through music. Tobi and Kisame were already here as well, and he wouldn't be the known as the first Akatsuki to give in, which was a plus. And that leader, Haruno Sakura.

Well, she was just as screwed up as he was but somehow managed to keep a good heart. She saved him without a second thought.

Pein would have never done that for him.

Mind made up, he dragged himself to the Otokage's office. Kabuto, Tobi, and Sakura were in, discussing who knows what about the Academy. Sakura smiled at him.

"Hello, Deidara-san! What can I help you with?"

"I'd... like to stay in the village. If that's cool, un."

Tobi glowed, tears brimming in his eyes as he ran towards him.

"SENPAI!"

Kabuto whispered something in Sakura's ear, making her grin and nod in agreement. She reached for some files on her table and a hitai-ate and handed it over, not minding that Tobi had turned into a heap on the floor due to a sharp kick to his stomach. Deidara took the offered items, curiously reading the tabs on each folder

Isaribi

Shiin Menma

Yukimaru

"What's this, hm?"

"Your first assignment as an Otogakure shinobi, of course!"

Deidara's brow furrowed.

"And that would be...?"

Kabuto opened one of Sakura's drawers and pulled out a champagne popper. He tended to keep them in there for mocking purposes or if he wanted to wake Sakura up from a nap he didn't authorize. He pulled the string and sent small green flakes of confetti to rain over Deidara's head.

"Congratulations. You're a genin-sensei."

Deidara had never felt so mortified.

::

 **Agano Koji as an OC, as the** _ **current**_ **head of Takumi Village isn't named.**


	13. July

_Sakura talked non-stop, telling him about the things that really pissed her off, her favorite foods, and the types of weather she preferred. She had to keep him awake so the poison would have a hard time settling into his system. Constantly, she asked if was still with her with his replies reduced to being small grunts of approval. It was good. Well, she thought it was good until Inner began to cackle._

 **'Remember what I said?'**

 _Sakura paused as somebody landed behind her._

 **'I guarantee.'**

 _"Sakura...? Is that really you?"_

 _She turned around._

 _"Asuma-sensei."_

::

 **Day 9**

Sakura rolled her chair back to her office window and slid it open. She leaned out and stared at the man sprawled out carelessly on the ledge.

"Not that I'm complaining, but don't you have any hobbies?" she asked, "You've been hanging around here since you came to Oto. I have a lot of books in my office if you'd like to read them. I'm pretty sure there's _The Diving Pool_ , _Kokoro_ , _The Tale of Genji_ , and _The Waiting Years_."

Hidan laced his fingers behind his head and rested an ankle on a bent knee.

"Already read them."

Sakura blinked.

"W-What? Really?"

"I'm not fucking illiterate."

Sakura took on a thoughtful look before retreating back into her office and closing the window. Three of those four books dealt with love and suffering, one of them even shedding light on the role of women in a patriarchal society. There were themes of isolation and a search for identity- something that she never expected Hidan to take interest in.

Honestly, she never expected him to be interested in reading at all.

"Do you think you'll be able to convince him?" Kabuto questioned. Sakura sighed and took a long sip of her tea.

"Maybe. It's like what Kisame-san said: it's either Pein-san or me. I don't know what it's like to work under Pein, but he certainly is more powerful than I am. Aren't strong shinobi drawn to even stronger ones?"

Kabuto hummed.

"Probably. But the Akatsuki aren't exactly your normal 'strong shinobi'. You've managed to change three minds. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to change a fourth."

She sighed and unrolled one of the scrolls on her desk.

::

 _He smiled._

 _"Is this where you've been? Off collecting Akatsuki members?" he asked, jerking his chin to the man slung across her shoulder, "I'm relieved to hear that. I knew you wouldn't have gone off without a word without a good reason."_

 _Sakura looked down guiltily. She took Deidara off her person and gently propped him up against a tree._

 _"We've all been worried about you. I know Ino has. There was a rumor going around that you'd gone off for good, but we wouldn't believe that. If you bring that Akatsuki back to Konoha, I'm sure the council will pardon you for your actions and welcome you back."_

::

At sundown, Sakura looked out her window again. Hidan was still out there, oddly enough. He was sat upright with a glowing blue sphere dancing on his fingertips. From further observation, she saw that it was a concentrated ball of pure chakra. He seemed to have been playing with it for a long while, surprising Sakura. Condensing chakra so finely like that took an extraordinary amount of chakra control.

With that revelation, an idea began to grow in her mind.

"Kabuto, could you get me that book on the top shelf? It's a thick green with gold lettering."

She stood, opened the window, and leaned out.

"Hidan-san, you said you read those four books I mentioned, right?" she questioned curiously, "I find it kind of strange. You seem very into your religion, yet none of those books are about or even mention Jashinism."

Hidan flicked the chakra orb into the air and caught it on the tip of his pinky finger.

"*I am an inconsistent creature. Perhaps it is the pressure of my past, and not my own perverse mind, that had made me into this contradictory being."

Sakura continued the quote.

"I am all too aware of this fault in myself. You must forgive me."

He smirked.

"Oho, so you've read the books too have you, Haruno?"

Kabuto poked out from behind the Otokage with narrowed eyes.

"Address Sakura-sama appropriately." he scolded. He handed her the book she asked for before returning into the office. Sakura looked it over, a small smile making its way onto her lips.

"Since you seem to enjoy reading books, why don't you give this one a try? I found it interesting when I first read it."

He took the large text, his chakra sphere disappearing as he saw the title.

Kawashima's Medical Series

VOL. I

Introduction to the Human Anatomy

 **Day 16**

 **'Send a message.'**

 _"I'm sorry, Asuma-sensei." she murmured as she slipped on her black gloves, "But I'm afraid those rumors aren't just rumors."_

 _His face fell._

 _"I see... Then I suppose I'll take you back by force." he said. Asuma whipped out his chakra blades and held them out in front of him._

 _"Be careful." Sakura warned, "I'm not the same as I was before."_

 **'Kill him.'**

::

"I've never seen senpai read before."

"Read? That asshole has had his nose stuck in those big-ass books every time I've seen him. I insulted him earlier and he just said 'okay'."

"He's reading pretty quickly too, you know. I gave him volume one a week ago. He's on _volume_ _five_."

"Seriously?!"

Tobi, Kisame, and Sakura were stood before the Otokage Tower, staring up at the ledge with impressed looks on their faces. Hidan was there as usual, legs hanging off the edge and a dango stick stuck in his mouth. His fifth medical textbook was opened in his lap and appeared to already be read halfway through. He wasn't paying attention to anything around him except that book.

"I mean, I thought he'd be interested, but I never imagined he'd be so engrossed in it. That can't be healthy." she sighed. She shook her head and turned to Tobi.

"So, how are the genin sensei? Doing well, I hope."

He scratched his cheek.

"They all look fine. And as for Deidara-senpai..."

::

"Sensei!" Menma shouted, "What do you mean _minefield_? We could get killed!"

Deidara peered down from his clay bird.

"Then don't, un."

::

"... I think he's getting the hang of it."

"Good."

Sakura glanced behind her, seeing Marisu and a handful of other medics making their way towards the gates. They were about to go on a three month long excursion to Oto's allies- Jomae, Takumi, and Nadeshiko- and train their doctors and medics to be more efficient. It was the least Sakura could offer in exchange for everything they'd ever done for her.

With that being said, she had ultimately doubled her workload by taking over the hospital in Marisu's place. That meant paperwork, more reports, more things to do...

She wilted.

She probably wouldn't have time for a drink until they got back.

 **Day 24**

"A music festival? Why the fuck would I be interested in that?"

"Because _we_ want to have some fun and all _you've_ ever done so far is be a nerd." Kisame said. He plucked the textbook from Hidan's hands, grimacing when he saw the  VOL. XII on the cover, and set it aside, "And Sakura-sama said that all this reading you've been doing is getting unhealthy. Even more so than you already are."

Hidan rolled his eyes.

"It should be fun, senpai! There's food, games, and lots and lots of different kinds of music..."

Hidan zoned out Tobi's ramblings and looked around Otogakure. The whole village seemed to be brought to life with the softly colored lanterns draped over the roads. The vendors were as cheerful as the children, thrums of music changing by the block. The Medical District seemed to be the liveliest of them all. People played for the sick and the old, bringing smiles to their faces.

Deidara and his team were there as well with the blonde genin, Menma, playing his ocarina to a group of small children. Tobi gasped.

"Deidara-senpai! Your hair!"

The aforementioned scowled at the man who marveled at the sight of his unbelievably short hair. His scowl deepened when Hidan tugged at it.

"What the hell happened to you? I thought your dumbass hair was _'too perfect, un'_ to cut."

He crossed his arms and pouted.

"I lost a bet, hm."

A fifteen year old Yukimaru, another one of Deidara's team, popped out from behind him."

"To me!"

As Kisame laughed and Tobi stared, Hidan decided to slip away from the group to get something to eat. Normally, he liked to make fun with the lot of them, but he wasn't really in the mood to be social. For one, Jashin was already bursting with anger at him for pushing off his sacrifices in favor of delving into those medical textbooks. Two, now that he was free to think about it, he was slowly starting to realize how much those textbooks have inevitably chained onto his interests.

He wasn't supposed to be so invested. But what could he say? His love for reading was a sin he couldn't cleanse.

Hidan bought a crepe and sat outside the hospital on its front steps. The sound of violins softly prodded at his ear drums as he observed the people that passed him by. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't as wild or uncontrollable as everyone thought him to be. Disrespectful? Yes. Outspoken? Yes. Not of right mind? Of course.

But that was the only during battle. Aside from that, he was just as normal as the next person (save for a few personality quirks).

A small boy caught his attention. He was a part of the small crowd that watched the violinists play and was holding onto a nurse's hand. There was a tiny smile on his face, though he didn't seem to focus on the music. The nurse looked down at the boy and made motions with his free hand, to which the boy nodded to.

... Ah.

The boy was deaf.

"That's Hachimitsu Kioshi. A five year old patient scheduled for surgery."

Sakura sat down on the steps beside Hidan, he white doctor's coat cloaking the space behind her. He glanced over.

"What kind of surgery?"

"Heart transplant. As soon as we find a suitable donor, we'll start the procedure. We're hoping that he'll hold out long enough." she said. She wanted the boy to enjoy himself before the surgery, but letting him around the _music_ festival seemed rather mocking. But, he looked like he was enjoying it nonetheless. Hidan looked back ahead of him.

"Hoping?"

"Yeah. Hoping."

 **Day 29**

The pediatric floor was in a frenzy.

Nurses and medics-in-training were running around the halls like their lives depended on it. They shouted at each other, ordering everyone around and having their heart rates rising in anxiety.

"Sakura-sama! Where's Sakura-sama?!"

"She's in the middle of a delicate twelve hour surgery right now! She isn't available!"

Hidan was only in the building on an errand Sakura left on her desk. He dodged the bodies that ran in his direction.

"What about Kabuto-san?! Surely he could do it!"

"He's assisting Sakura-sama in the operating room!"

He loitered around the lobby to eavesdrop on their panic.

"Marisu-san and most of our top medics are gone on the excursion, and the rest are sick with a chakra-fluctuating illness that plagued the upper floors a few days ago, so they can't do it! There's no one else who can control their chakra to such an extent who also has even the most _basic_ medical knowledge!"

The nurse Hidan recognized as the one at the music festival stalked up angrily.

"Hachimitsu Kioshi can only be kept alive for five more hours, and the transplant takes a minimum of three. He's going to live, dammit! We're going to find someone to help that innocent little boy!"

The deaf boy.

He was going to die?

The next thing Hidan knew, his feet carried him out of the lobby and towards the angry cluster of nurses. His mouth opened on his own volition, and those five words tumbled out before he could think.

"I can do the surgery."

::

"Hidan? In the operating room?"

"Yes, ma'am. He had the best chakra control in the general vicinity and apparently had read all of Kawashima's Medical Series, and we were running out of time. We do have a PA in there telling him what to do."

Sakura and Kabuto exchanged surprised glances before they hurried down to the pediatric floor and to Operation Room Four's observation window. It was nearing the end of the procedure, and as far they could see, the transplant was a success. Kabuto crossed his arms.

"Let me guess. This was your plan the whole time."

She cracked a guiltless smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

 **Day 31**

Sakura walked through the white hallways, curious. Hidan wasn't at his usual spot on her office ledge, so the only other place she thought he'd be was at the hospital. It was the place he performed that impromptu procedure before disappearing from the operating room. Once she checked the boy over, she was amazed to find that his transplant seemed even more than perfect. Especially for an unexpected one.

Again on the pediatric floor, she scoured the recovery rooms for the _Hachimitsu Kioshi_ tag. Once she found it, she knocked twice before entering. Hidan was seated on the chair beside the hospital bed- completely silent and looking at the quietly slumbering boy. A book was on the nightstand to his right.

The Basics of Sign Language

"If I hadn't done that, would he have died?"

Sakura exhaled softly.

"Yes. He would have."

She turned around to leave him be, but he spoke up again.

"I heard that I have to take a series of tests and training to enter the hospital. Do I really have to go through all that shit?" he asked. Sakura bit her lip to keep the grin off her lips.

"Unfortunately. If you come to my office, I can provide you with all the paper work you need to get started. Will I see you there?"

There were a few beats of stillness.

"... Yeah. Later."

Sakura stepped out of the room intent on finishing her rounds about the hospital. Another curious notion bubbled to the top of her head.

"And what about Jashin?"

He turned around, magenta irises conflicted.

"He... He'll have to wait."

Hidan looked back at Kioshi.

"He'll just have to wait a little longer."

::

 _Sakura raised a shaky hand, swallowing thickly at the red liquid that dripped from her palm. Asuma's body lay motionless on the ground, eyes closed and an angry burn mark covering half off his face. She wished that the blood that stained her hands wasn't hers. She hopefully, desperately wished it wasn't. But even this tragedy wasn't left to silence, Inner screeching with laughter._

 **'I can't believe you did that! I can't believe it! This is too good!'**

 _She turned around at Deidara whose visible eye stared up at her in shock._

 _"Are you hurt?" she asked._

 _"You.. asking me...? Yo... Your back-"_

 _"I'm fine, I'm fine." she assured, "It's only a scratch. But we have to get you to Takumi Village right now."_

 **'You killed Asuma!'**

'If he's found in two days-'

 **'Who'll find him out here? You could've run, but you've killed him! You listened to me! Oh god- Oh god this is perfect! You chose a stranger over a friend! They'll never forgive you!'**

 _She lifted Deidara back over her shoulder, hearing his small puff of weak laughter before he closed his eyes._

 _"You're really... an idiot..."_

Sakura sank down in her chair, rubbing her forehead as it began to pulse relentlessly. Memories from the day her and Deidara were ambushed, then later crossing paths with Asuma, suddenly filled her head. It was the day that truly sealed her fate and something she could never take back. When she recounted her misadventure for Kabuto once she returned to Otogakure, he asked how she got out of the fight unscathed.

Oh no, she wasn't unscathed. Underneath her shirt, expanding from her left hip to her right shoulder, was a deep, hastily healed scar that would be there for the rest of her life as a reminder or what she couldn't take back.

Konoha wasn't an option for her anymore.

And the moment she met Kabuto in her apartment, she realized that even from the start, it never really was.

::

 _ **The Diving Pool**_ _ **by Yoko Ogawa;**_ _ **Kokoro**_ _ **by Natsume Soseki;**_ _ **The Tale of Genji**_ _ **by Murasaki Shikibu;**_ _ **The Waiting Years**_ _ **by Enchi Fumiko**_

 _ *** "I am an inconsistent creature. Perhaps it is the pressure of my past, and not my own perverse mind, that has made me into this contradictory being. I am all too aware of this fault in myself. You must forgive me." - Murasaki Shikibu,**_ _ **The Tale of Genji**_


	14. August

The sound of the heart monitor was slow and deafening. Fresh flowers- sunflowers- sat in a white rectangular vase beside a barely breathing body. Kurenai was dedicated to being there for him as much as she could, cradling her daughter to her chest and whispering how happy her daddy would be if he woke up.

No, _when_. Because Asuma wasn't going to die.

He was found unconscious and bleeding out profusely near the outskirts of Fire Country. There was a large evidence of an intense battle with enormous craters in the ground and trees uprooted. It could have been one of two possible people who were capable of such damage: Deidara of the Akatsuki or Haruno Sakura.

No one was prepared when they found out that both scents were found amongst the wreckage before all trails of them disappeared. Naruto at to take to the side, stomach churning horribly. Sakura did this? And was with an Akatsuki member? No, she couldn't, wouldn't do this- whatever the hell she was out there doing! Nearly two years had gone by.

Sasuke wasn't here so he could look for Itachi.

Sakura wasn't here, but why?

How could she leave without a word?

How could she possibly fight and send Asuma to his death bed?!

 **Day 7**

Observation was both his forte and his hobby.

There was something satisfying about learning about someone you've never met before but only heard great things about. When you first met that someone, you could truly decide if they were really as great as the world said they were. Next, you could carefully dissect the person they appeared to be.

Much of the time, people lied about who they were the first moment you met them. Far too many times that person would be nicer than normal and hold their tongue to keep from gaining a bad impression. It would take a long while before that person slowly melted into who they really were and had easy content to start showing their flaws.

Haruno Sakura was not part of the "most people" he described.

The first day he came to the village, he saw her single-handedly deal with an entire downtown criminal gang.

By gambling.

 _Zetsu carefully meandered through the large crowd, mixing into the people surrounding the scene. A makeshift table was set up in the middle of the road, cards splayed out in front of them. On one end was a lanky looking man with high cheek bones and brightly calculating eyes. Sakura was sat opposite him with crossed legs and a controlled calm expression. Kabuto, Zetsu saw, looked slightly exasperated at the whole ordeal and took a seat on one of the empty crates tossed onto the sides of the streets. His sharp eye spotted Zetsu's bi-colored body and intrigued expression before he stood and approached him._

 _"Yakushi-san, I presume."_

 _"Yes, hello, Zetsu-san." Kabuto greeted, "I apologize for meeting you like this. I didn't anticipate your early arrival and well..."_

 _He glanced over at the intense card game with the click of his tongue._

 _"... You caught Sakura-sama in the middle of dissolving about 35% of Otogakure's crime rate."_

 _Zetsu's eyes narrowed a fraction.._

 _"_ _ **I beg your pardon?**_ _"_

 _Kabuto pointed at the young man at the table._

 _"Twenty-two year old Aihara Arata. Leader of one of the most prominent drug rings in the village. Sakura-sama bet that if she could beat him in a game of poker, he would have to break up his gang. If he could beat her, she'd leave him be and also give a small donation to continue his machinations." he sighed, "Though honestly, I don't know why she has to drive this bet out for so long. We're on a tight schedule and we don't have the time to lay two million ryo up for grabs."_

 _Zetsu glanced back over at the card game with a further interest. What a reckless leader, this Haruno Sakura was proving herself to be. There was so much risk she was putting into this bet, and the lack of concern her right hand was showing only piqued his curiosity even more._

 _"And you are untroubled with this development? With such money on the line and in dealing with a major threat, I'd assume you'd be more anxious at the outcome. You seem irritated rather than unnerved."_

 _The man pushed up his glasses._

 _"That is one aspect of Sakura-sama that differs from her mentor. She doesn't lose all her games."_

 _Arata placed down a four of a kind._

 _"She wins."_

 _Sakura set down a royal flush._

It was an unprecedented way to deal with a problem, and that in itself was extraordinary.

Today was the day of the Tanabata Festival. Bamboo stalks reached up, colorful wishes hanging down to tickle the heads of the passersby. Zetsu merely came for the sake of discovering what kind of people populated Otogakure, as well as sift through his thoughts about the proclaimed "Otokage." She was a young woman with such a heavy serving on her plate that he didn't quite understand why exactly she rose to this position on the first place.

If she were anything like Gaara, born in the village and soon following in his father's footsteps, he would have understood the situation. If she were still a Konoha shinobi and had somehow managed to become Hokage, he would have been slightly surprised but not think it out of the ordinary. But since Sakura had left on her own volition and willingly stepped up as the leader of a previously broken village, Zetsu had reason to assume that there was something very wrong.

Haruno Sakura was one of the most loyal shinobi Konoha had to offer, even training under the Godaime herself. Nothing should've prompted her to cut her losses and run.

Zetsu turned a corner and saw Sakura among the festival goers. A little girl sat on her shoulders and was tying an orange slip of paper to one of the bamboo stalks.

"Did you do it?"

"I did it! I did it! I tied it, Sakura-sama!"

"That's great! I hope you wrote a good wish!"

Zetsu frowned.

"A kind heart like that comes to a place like this? **Tch. A kind heart like that would never think of leaving in the first place.** "

 **Day 19**

"Tell me that one more time, please."

A chuunin gulped, real fear threading through his eyes as the rest of the team bowed their heads and held their tongues. Zetsu was stood in the corner of the office, amazed at the killing intent that surged in the room like a wildfire. Sakura looked more calm and composed than normal with her voice a soft alluring lull. Kabuto seemed like the only person in the room who wasn't off put by the amount of rage in the room.

"Well, you see, Sakura-sama, out on our mission, we ran into an unfortunate situation. We have the scroll you sent for, but taichou told us to leave without him so we could complete the mission..."

Sakura smiled, anger soaring and the temperature in the room dropping to a freezing level.

"You left Iori-san by herself?" she questioned, "All _three_ of you left her by _herself_?"

They glanced nervously at each other.

"Um, yes, we... um..."

"I asked you a question. I expect an answer in return." she commented smoothly. The speaker of the team held his hands tightly behind his back.

"Yes, ma'am. We left her alone."

Sakura's smile widened.

"Then what are you doing here? I will only accept the scroll if all four team members are reporting for their mission."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The three of them quickly bowed before scrambling out of the office and shutting the door behind them. Sakura slumped in her seat and brought a hand up to massage her forehead. Zetsu eyed her curiously.

"You're quite scary when you want to be. **It's very amusing.** "

"Hm? Oh. Uh, thanks. I guess."

 **Day 26**

One place Zetsu didn't expect to see her was at the bar in the middle of the night. He elbows were propped up on the table as she set her chin in her hand. Green eyes, bleary from possibly lack of sleep and overwork, stared down blankly at her cup of sake. Her face suddenly scrunched up into a pained expression, making her set her cup down and pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Just _shut up_..." she muttered pitifully. He raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps she's like us? Talking to ourselves? **I doubt it.** "

He walked over, sliding into the booth seat across from her. Sakura didn't need to raise her eyes to see who it was.

"Good evening. Or, morning, I should say." she sighed, "I'll get you a drink. Don't worry about it, it's on me."

She waved at the bartender and ordered another bottle of sake before downing her cup. Zetsu was silent, taking in the bags under her eyes and the hopeless vacancy that filled a normally warm, determined stare. He glanced behind her, saw the man seated just a couple of tables away, and remembered something he had always wanted to know the answer to.

"I have some questions to ask you if it isn't too much trouble, Haruno-sama. **The answer shouldn't be too complicated either, if my thinking is correct.** "

Sakura raised her head and motioned for him to continue.

" **Why in all your right mind would you save Deidara?** "

The man tables away froze.

"You certainly didn't know him well enough to risk your life for. He was even the man who killed the Ichibi, a friend of yours, no? Do you hold no hatred? **No desire for revenge?** "

It was a Sasuke-esque set of questions, and he knew that all too well. The waiter came and set down another cup and a sake bottle before leaving. Sakura sighed again.

"What use would that be? Being angry all the time would be exhausting. Deidara-san had a job back then and he pulled through with it. If I were his leader and gave me the results that he did, I would've been more than pleased. Besides, Gaara-san's alive and freed of his tailed beast. No harm done." she replied. Zetsu considered her answer.

" **... Fair, I suppose.** But this is Deidara we're speaking of. He's a criminal like the rest of us who's done unspeakable wrongs. But you save his life anyways?"

She smiled a weary smile.

"Everyone deserves another chance. It doesn't matter who they are."

Zetsu's eyes flickered back behind her. The man tables away set his beer down and lowered his head, lips pressed into a thin line. He stood and placed his money next to his drink before leaving through the back door. He drew his eyes back to Sakura's small figure that had sagged forward just a little more.

"Then Konoha. Why leave that warmth for here?"

She set her cup down and leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

"Once I heard Otogakure's cry for help, I couldn't ignore it. It was like a screaming in my head... I have enough of that as it is. I don't think I could've lived to see these people suffer more than they already were." she said.

What a walking contradiction this strange woman turned out to be.

" **Is talking to yourself included in that package?** " Kuro-Zetsu questioned. Sakura blinked.

"Oh, you heard that? Sorry. My conscious can get irritating too much of the time and sometimes I can't help myself." she apologized. Her eyes opened, revealing a much more worn gaze. His interest raised exponentially.

"An irritating conscious? **How bizarre.** "

"Maybe not irritating, but... What she says is right. Always. Every single thing, mostly bad, is nothing but the truth. She's harsh, mocking, and unrelenting, but at least she says things as it is. It keeps me aware, no matter how much I don't want to hear it."

The rest of the morning was spent in silence, the two of them saying nothing as they drank their sake into the early hours.

 **Day 31**

"Haruno-sama."

Sakura looked up from her paperwork, bright smile returned to her face and eyes shimmering happily.

"What can I do for you, Zetsu-san?"

"I'm merely here to inform you that I will not be available to you 24/7. I will spend most of my time under Pein-sama- that I will never change. But if you ask for me, I'll do your bidding. **That is acceptable, yes?** "

Her smile widened.

"Yes, of course. That's more than perfect!"

The corner of his lips quirked upwards in the slightest before he sunk down into the ground. Kabuto waited a few moments before pulling out a report and placing it on her desk.

"Here are the medical files you asked for, Sakura-sama." he informed more quietly than usual, "I'll leave you to read them."

The second he left the room and shut the door, Sakura opened the back of the folder and took one look at the last line. Tears immediately sprung to life as she pressed her palms to her eyes and curled in on herself.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Because just hours before, Kurenai was asleep in a hospital room. Mirai, her daughter, was wide awake, gazing in childish wonder at the dark room that shrouded her. Had she been older, she would've noticed the slowing of a heart monitor.

It slowed, slowed, slowed...

Until her ears were filled with the sound of a flat-line.

::

 **Tanabata Festival: Writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (small pieces of paper) and hanging them on bamboo.**

 **Kuro-Zetsu: Black Zetsu**


	15. September

The Daimyou of Ta no Kuni came to her with one small request for her to fulfill.

"Do you see this unoccupied landmass west of us and north of Fire? I would appreciate it if you could claim this as an extension of this country." he smiled. Sakura blinked up owlishly at him.

"... What?"

 **Day 6**

Kakuzu had a reason to hate villages. His own sent him on an assassination mission many, many years ago. His objective had been none other than the God of Shinobi himself, Senju Hashirama. The mission was fraught with danger and impossibility. Of course he had failed- what did they really expect of him? No one was a match for Hashirama.

When he returned to Takigakure he was met with disappointment and grand disgrace. They jailed him for his "incompetence" and shamed him for not getting the job done. After being given such an absurd task, failing, then being sentenced for that extremely unreasonable demand, Kakuzu began to grow angry. He had been nothing but a loyal shinobi to his Kage. For years, he risked his life for the sake of his village. He listened, never betrayed them, and certainly had offered his entire life to them. After this blatant betrayal, there was only one thing that came to mind. He had to leave.

But not before showing Takigakure the consequences for wronging him.

Kakuzu broke free of his imprisonment and killed the council members that sent him to confinement before taking their hearts as his own. He then stole one of Takigakure's most prized forbidden techniques before accepting his new status as a missing-nin. From then on, he developed a violent hatred for the place he once called home and vowed to never join such a system again.

His answer to coming to Otogakure should have been an immediate "no". There was There was absolutely no way he'd join another village despite everyone before him integrating into the village themselves. Why the others had done so was beyond his understanding, and he had yet to see any reason why they had done so.

Though he had to admit that this Otokage was something strange. The first time he stepped into her office, he walked right in the middle of an argument between her and her right hand man.

"Why can't you understand this simple concept?!"

"Simple?! You just showed me three cards with the exact same thing on each of them!"

"They aren't the same!"

" _Bullshit._ "

"Not bullshit. That one's onyx, that one's jet-"

"Every single one of these cards are black, Kabuto! Only a dork like you would make me pick between _shades of black_. You're even dorkier for knowing that there's a freakin' difference!"

... Strange was a light word to use for the both of them. The one thing that really stood out to him was how young Haruno Sakura turned out to be. Kakuzu knew that she was the previous apprentice of the Godaime Hokage, as it was common knowledge, but he never really digested her true age. How old was she? Eighteen? How could Orochimaru trust such a young, inexperienced person to take over a crumbling village?

Though she had managed to make changes for the better, he decided to let her particularly young age slide. There was also the Kazekage who was about the same age as her, and Sunagakure was thriving.

Kakuzu glimpsed over to Sakura from his spot on the right window sill. She didn't look like much at first glance, but the more you saw of her the more you noticed how well built and muscular she was. When she pushed up the sleeves of her black turtle neck, her arms showed light scars and a truer extent of her muscle definition.

His thoughts were disrupted when something tapped on the window. A Great Horned Owl waited for entry, its bright yellow eyes staring straight at Kakuzu. Sakura rolled her seat back and slid the window open.

"Good afternoon, Bunko-san! How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you for asking." Bunko replied, sending a cursory stare Kakuzu's way, "I took your advice and tried your window instead of popping in unannounced like last time. I startled you out of your chair, if I remember correctly."

Kabuto snorted. Sakura jabbed him in the ribs.

"Yes, well, do you have anything for me?"

"There are three confirmed sightings of spies around the village, and one within the walls. We have reason to believe that the one currently in the village has established a connection with the sage, Jiraiya." she informed. Sakura's face remained blank at the name as she opened her drawer and took out four miniature vials of a pinkish liquid. She placed them in a small canister before ting it onto Bunko's leg.

"My ANBU have confirmed it as well. This poison should keep them quiet. I trust that you and your associates can administer them quickly."

"Of course."

The owl spread its wings and prepared for flight.

"Oh, and Bunko-san?"

She turned her head.

"Feel free to hunt any frogs you may see along the way."

Bunko nodded and took to the skies, Sakura shutting the window behind her. Kakuzu was curious. He had never heard of such an extensive network of summon lookouts. Sensing his confusion, Kabuto informed him of the situation.

"There's an abnormally dense population of owls in this country. I'm sure you've seen plenty on the way here." he said, "Though nearly all of them are just regular birds, they still are incredibly intelligent species. Maybe not by our standards, but they're reliable all the same. Bunko-san put word out to watch for suspicious persons. If there are any, then a summon will be informed and report to Sakura-sama."

Kakuzu's brow furrowed.

"That would mean..."

"Precisely." Sakura grinned, "Hundreds of human eyes inside and a thousand hunter eyes outside. Unless you're Zetsu-san you'll be spotted. Of course the system isn't perfect, but it hasn't let me down so far."

That was actually useful means of security. It wasn't an over-the-top or risky measure to take and she utilized what she was given to one of her greatest advantages. She was smart and cautious. Unlike that idiot part of his, at least.

Speaking of Hidan, he couldn't recall seeing him about the village. He saw that Tobi had become an Academy sensei and had gone off with his mask, exposing a scarred face and one hazel eye. He looked more happy teaching than he had ever been as an Akatsuki member. Kisame was an ANBU operative that became Sakura's personal bodyguard. Even with his status he didn't wear the normal dark gray armor or mask. When Kakuzu inquired about it, Kisame laughed.

"I'm blue and have an intimidation factor of about 80%. I'm positive I'll get my point across without wearing all that."

Deidara somehow became a genin sensei. The idea never occurred to him and when he heard about it, he thought that the position was ridiculous. When Kakuzu saw Deidara interacting with his students, he then understood why Sakura nudge him in that direction. He was tough and made his students learn their lessons the hard way, but he was shaping them into better shinobi.

But in the six days he'd been here, Hidan's whereabouts or what became of him was still a mystery.

"What does Hidan do in the village?"

She perked up.

"Oh! He became a-"

 _Knock. Knock._

Sakura glanced over at the door.

"Come in."

Her office door swung open and Hidan stepped through with some files tucked under his arm and a doctor's coat hanging off his broad shoulders. Kakuzu's jaw shifted slightly at the man's apparel.

"So I have these documents from the- Kaku-fucker! So you're here this month. How much did you miss me? C'mon, be honest."

Kakuzu quickly regained his bearings and gave his partner a blank stare.

"I was enjoying the solitude, really."

"What? Asshole!"

Maybe he could reconsider his stance on vowing to never join a village again. If Sakura was able to change Hidan, maybe she wouldn't be so bad after all.

 **Day 18**

Sakura stared down at a map of Ta no Kuni and the unoccupied country beside it. Hanzaki and ANBU Director, Takenaka Suzume, stood around the conference table looking down intently at the same map.

"Do you suppose we could just scour the entire country and convince all inhabitants into accepting the Daimyou's rule?" Suzume asked. No, they couldn't push through with that. Could they? If they went to each person one by one. Would that work? The couldn't really tell for sure. None of them had any experience in witnessing this portion of political power. Hanzaki was the oldest of all of them, but with his status as clan head and being part of a neutral country, he didn't enter any part of previous wars. Suzume was only eight years old in the Third Shinobi World War and didn't understand the workings around her at the time.

They needed help from someone who was wise enough to help in their decision making process. Perhaps they could consult someone older who had been in those wars and had seen the rise and fall of great nations. Sakura slowly turned to her assistant.

"Kabuto."

He looked up from his little black book.

"Yes, Sakura-sama?"

"How old did Hidan-san say Kakuzu-san was?"

::

"... You want my opinion?"

"Sure. You were alive around the time of the Shodai Hokage, right? Then you must've lived long enough to learn the do's and don't's of politics. I know I'm young and don't know much about these things, so I was hoping you'd maybe have an input on this situation."

 _Him_? He wasn't even a shinobi of her village!

But he gave her his honest opinion: to send a group of sociable, high-ranking shinobi into the uncharted territory to convince everyone who lived there to accept the Daimyou's rule, just like Suzume had suggested. It gave the people fair warning of what may take place and introduce them to the benefits being protected by a Daimyou, should they accept the terms of the changes.

Kabuto whispered something into Sakura's ear to which she responded with a few more words and an open smile.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it, Kakuzu-san." she said, "Kabuto, could you find Hanzaki-san and Suzume-san and bring them into my office? Thank you."

She pulled out a blank scroll from her drawer and began to write down a mission summary.

"Hawk. Boar. Tiger. Cobra."

Four bodies appeared in the office clad in the dark ANBU gear and matching colored masks.

"Otokage-sama."

Sakura finished writing the mission description before handing it to Boar.

"This assignment has an indefinite time span, but shouldn't last longer than a few weeks. This is an S-ranked mission due to its political nature and everything you need to know is in your scroll. Memorize it, then burn it. Once you have completed your task, send a message to me and I'll come survey what you've done and wrap up your mission there, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

And they were gone.

Sakura spun her chair around to face Kakuzu and offered up a sheepish smile.

"This may be a lot to ask, but I do have some documents with my allies that need revisions. If it isn't too much trouble, could you help me review them?"

He eyed her reluctantly, a bit taken aback at her blatant openness. She knew who he was, and about the things he did. She knew all the crimes he stashed under his belt. Initially, he'd inquire if she was stupid for asking him for such a thing. But he carefully considered her words and gave her a blank stare.

"It isn't any trouble at all."

Kakuzu was curious about her work ethic, anyways.

 **Day 25**

"How did you change Hidan?"

Sakura looked up from her bowl of miso ramen.

"Hm?"

"Hidan." Kakuzu repeated, "What did you do to change him?"

The two of them were at a small ramen shop in the middle of the village. It wasn't too crowded at their spot outside in the shade of the lavender awning. It was one of those rare days where Kabuto allowed her a long break where she took Kakuzu along for noodles and sake. Sakura took a sip of her drink.

"I didn't change him or force him to do anything. It was by pure coincidence that he became so invested in the books I offered. Maybe he's really a nice person in disguise."

Kakuzu snorted. But there couldn't be any fault in her words since Hidan actually joined the _pediatric_ department of the hospital.

"Are you implying that he had that kindness in him that entire time? Even when he was so devoted to Jashin?" he asked. Sakura shrugged her shoulders and gave that smile that Kakuzu was starting to grow weirdly accustomed to.

"People never changed. They learn, they make mistakes... but they never become another person. If they seem like they're different, that just means you never knew them at all, ne?"

He poured himself a cup of sake.

"I suppose."

 **Day 30**

Sakura was out with the Daimyou across the border to finalize in claiming the uncharted territory as Ta no Kuni's extension. Kabuto opted to stay in Otogakure to watch over the village in her absence. They still had yet to find someone trustworthy and able to leave in charge whenever she had business out of Otogakure. Kakuzu stood by the window, gazing out at the sun setting on the horizon. Kabuto, who sat in Sakura's usual seat, noticed his contemplation and pushed up his glasses.

"We do have a position open. If you're interested."

Kakuzu turned half way.

"Oh?"

"We don't have a council and we don't plan on creating one anytime soon. Our reasons are quite simple- corruption, unnecessary arguments, unneeded stress, and other things along that line. But what we do have are advisors. Those who get a say in major decisions. Fuuma-san, Suzume-san, and Rinha-san are the current few who have that opportunity. You could have this title if you choose to stay." he mentioned casually. Kakuzu turned to look back towards the window.

Advisor?

It didn't sound like such a bad idea.

::

Jiraiya pursed his lips as he stood in the Hokage's office. He just didn't understand. All his contacts still hadn't replied to his messages and none of his frogs had come back to report. He never believed that Ta no Kuni could grow so rapidly and to the point that even his spies couldn't gather any intel or live long enough to tell what they knew. Tsunade looked up at him.

"I'm guessing that sending some shinobi over wouldn't help matters."

"I don't want to take the chance." he admitted, "We still don't know anything about them or this so called 'Otogakure'. In my personal research, though, I have reason to believe the leader of this village is conspiring with the Akatsuki. The members are crawling all over that country- it would be safest if we left them alone for now."

Tsunade sighed.

She really wished she had a drink.


	16. October

_**'Sealing the deal, eh? You truly are a horrible, despicable creature.'**_ Inner laughed, _**'What a loathsome piece of trash you're turning out to be!'**_

Sakura exhaled softly and leaned back in her chair. Kabuto paused whatever he was writing and glanced over.

"Is she acting up again?" he questioned softly. She nodded before looking back down at the files on the Rinha Clan that were on her desk.

"Yeah. Since I'm really going through with this, she hasn't shut up for a second."

Because the Rinha Clan weren't just known for their medical techniques. They had a special kekkei genkai that practically guaranteed her getting erased from the grid. Now was truly the moment she couldn't turn back, and she hoped to the gods that she wasn't making a mistake.

 _'_ _ **And you know very well that you can never see Naruto again, traitor.'**_

She shut her eyes.

No. No, she couldn't.

Not ever again.

 **Day 4**

"Do you... Do you not _like_ her or something?"

Itachi looked over at a dumbfounded Kisame, his anger subsiding just the tiniest bit as he regarded his partner coolly.

"Pardon?"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious from the look on your face and that ridiculous killing intent that fills the room when Sakura-sama's in. You haven't even met her before. What I really don't understand is how much hate you have towards her. You're Uchiha Itachi for damn sake!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

" _And?_ You don't hate anyone! Not even your enemies! What is it about her that gets your boxers in a twist?" Kisame questioned incredulously. Itachi's jaw tightened slightly as he turned his head to gaze up at the Otokage's office. Hate? It wasn't quite the right word he would use for the situation. Anger? Rage? Resentment? Fury? Those seemed more applicable to what he felt this very moment.

The minute he realized who Haruno Sakura was, he came to despise her.

Who hadn't heard of her at least once before? She was his otouto's teammate and was supposed to be one of the people who would draw him back to Konoha. It was all part of his plan for Sasuke- he would die for his younger brother's sake. With Sasuke fulfilling everything he ever wanted, he'd return to the village he left and into the waiting arms of her and Uzumaki Naruto. It was perfect. It was foolproof.

But Sakura ruined it. He saw a flash of pink through the office window and frowned. It wasn't just the collapse of his plan that pissed him the hell off. It was also the fact that she was previously the Hokage's apprentice. She had access to an extensive amount of village secrets, knew how the village worked, and was in the know of nearly every major thing that happened. Sakura could very well be the person who could bring the destruction of Konoha with the snap of her fingers.

There was absolutely no way he could let that happen. With everything he sacrificed to keep everyone in Konoha safe, he wasn't going to allow someone to waltz up out of nowhere and crush all his hard work.

His family didn't die for this.

Unconsciously, killing intent slowly seeped out of his pores and bubbled around him like a tightly wrapped cloak. Kisame cringed and slowly inched away.

"I didn't mean to make you upset, it was just a question!"

::

Sakura peered out of her window and shivered when she met an intense, red glare. She backtracked into her office and sat in her chair.

"Did I make a bad first impression?" she wondered aloud. Kabuto scratched the back of his head and looked out the window as well.

"I thought you were just as polite as you were with the others. Perhaps he's just having a bad week?"

 **Day 10**

Sakura was starting to think that Itachi just didn't like her. Every time she passed him, she'd wave, give him a small smile, or say a soft 'hello'. Half the time, he'd ignore her and the other half he looked at her like he wanted to stab her in the throat. Kisame had even taken the liberty to stick close to her in fear that Itachi might actually lash out and kill her at any second.

What did she ever do to him? They did cross paths once or twice back in her days as a Konoha shinobi, but other than that, she couldn't think of a single thing she had done to offend him. When Deidara learned of this development, he waved it off.

"The Uchiha isn't the most personable, un. You shouldn't worry so much." he said when he came to report his mission with his genin team, "Besides, I'm sure he's gone all ice queen on you because he can't stand your good looks, hm."

Sakura chuckled at the compliment while the genin groaned.

"Ugh, you're so lame, sensei." Isaribi whined.

"No kidding." Menma sighed, "Sakura-sama's way too pretty for you."

"Completely out of your league!" Yukimaru chirped. Deidara jerked his thumb at them.

"Can I change my team? Preferably to the nice, cute genin they're _supposed_ to be, un?" he asked. There was no real anger in his words, Sakura noted happily. She was glad that Deidara had settled well into his new role like all the other members who chose to stay with Otogakure.

"Sorry, Deidara-san. You're stuck with them until they become chuunin. Maybe even a little after that." she grinned. Deidara grinned before turned around and ushered his team out the door.

"If that's the case, you little craps are going to train even more so I can get rid of you, un!"

He was met with a chorus of protests before he threw a wink over his shoulder and shut the door behind him. It was nice that there were so many people in the village who could lift her spirits to the point where she could nearly forget about her worries.

Nearly.

Marisu came through the door, having just returned to the village a few days prior, not too long after Deidara and his genin had taken their leave. She had a short stack of papers in her hands and a serious expression on her face.

"I've approved everything we need, Sakura-sama. Would you like to start the procedure?"

"... Yes. I'll meet you at the hospital right away."

Marisu nodded and placed the papers on the desk before turning and leaving the office. Sakura stood to follow her, but not before opening her drawer and giving a wobbly smile at the Team Seven photo she stashed in there.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto."

 **Day 15**

She was looking worse for wear and almost everyone who saw her took notice. Sakura was weaker and paler than she normally was even though the had that same bright smile and cheerful attitude. Various people questioned her well being out of concern for her health, but she reassured them with her light, uplifting words that she'd be fine later on in the month. There was nothing actively wrong with her. A small setback had popped up in her way, is all.

Despite disliking her to a great extent, Itachi couldn't help but grow curious at what was going on behind the scenes. Sakura was a medic, obviously, and he didn't think she'd let herself get that sick for this long. So he subtly brought it up to Kakuzu.

"She's... removing any chance for attention to be brought to her." he answered as he tried to put Sakura's situation into words, "The Rinha Clan have a special kekkei genkai, you see. They're able to take someone's chakra and place it into a puppet- creating a perfect copy of that person. I'm still unsure of what she wants to do with that copy, but I'm positive that it has something to do with Konohagakure."

Killing intent began to swirl at his core, but was carefully controlled in his associate's presence.

"Ill intent?" he suggested nonchalantly. Kakuzu shook his head.

"Of course not. She loves that village too much." he said. That killing intent disappeared in a second and Itachi's mind stalled. Kakuzu took this moment to continue, "She tries to hardest to avoid Konoha and their forces as far as I've seen. There may have been one incident where a Konoha shinobi had been killed, but that was long before I arrived here. Tobi, Kisame, or Deidara may know something about it if you wish to look into it further."

 **Day 23**

"Oh! I remember that! Sakura-sama saved Deidara-senpai's life!"

It was half an hour before classes started and Tobi was writing some problems on the chalkboard. Itachi was leaning against the doorway, watching the other man's profile. He was very curious about the Deidara story, but there was something nagging him at the back of his head. There was something disturbingly familiar about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I heard that Sakura-sama had to choose between senpai and one of her old sensei. Sarutobi Asuma, I think? But she didn't want to kill him."

Itachi crossed his arms.

"How can you be so sure?"

Tobi set his chalk down and turned to the younger man with a smile.

"'Cause she's kinda like you, Itachi-senpai. Haven't you noticed?"

 **Day 29**

Itachi received a summons to the Otokage's office, much to his confusion. He and Sakura didn't talk much at all. Even after he discovered she had nothing against Konoha, he only replied to her greetings with the slight incline of his head before going about his business. They didn't socialize, try to get on friendly terms, or resolve the previous tension between them. They didn't feel the need to. So being asked to come on her request was somewhat odd to him.

Tobi's words had also played over and over in his head since he went to go and talk with him. Like him? He couldn't find the reasons to deny it. Leaving their home village for the better, joining a place that's considered the enemy, and a wish to kill as little as possible.

Huh.

When he stepped into the office, he noticed that her skin had gained some of its color back and the bags under her eyes had lessened a bit. Kabuto was absent from his spot beside her desk and Sakura's chin was propped up on one of her palms. At his entrance, she straightened and smiled wearily.

"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san. Sorry for bothering you like this, but I need you to tell me something."

He was silent for a few seconds.

"Tell you what, exactly?"

His question was immediately answered when Kabuto came through the door with an exact replica of Sakura in his arms. Everything about her was just like the original in her healthiest state to the shade of her eyes to her body proportions. He gently placed the replica on her desk, Sakura gesturing towards the dummy.

"Tell me how real your sharingan makes this puppet out to be."

Itachi stepped forward and observed the chakra coils that ran through the imitation, secretly marveling at the detail put into this physical, practically human clone. He took out a kunai and made a small cut on the arm, fresh blood dripping from the cut.

"The blood?"

"Mine. Drawn one pint a day and preserved until we had enough to put into the 'body'. The chakra is also mine, taken and stored in tags for transfer, and the organs were artificially duplicated from my tissue. So what do you think, Uchiha-san? If you hadn't known it was a puppet, would you have thought it was a real body?"

He surveyed the body for a few more moments before meeting her expectant gaze.

"... Yes. I would have."

She then turned to Kabuto.

"Yours and Marisu-san's opinion?"

"As real as anyone could ever expect."

Sakura sunk down into her chair with a lengthy sigh, a quiet _good_ slipping from her lips. For once in the past few weeks, she allowed herself to relax. She was tired from all her overbearing paperwork and the stress of Marisu's procedure was starting to catch up to her. Zetsu emerged from the wall behind her and gazed interestingly at the 'body' on the desk.

"You needed me for something?" he asked. Sakura drew in a deep breath.

"Yes, I do. I want you to take this replica of me, injure it convincingly like I was killed in a fight, and place it near Konoha. If you could damage the surroundings too, that would be wonderful." she said. Zetsu grinned and took the body in his arms.

" **It would be my pleasure.** "

Once he left, Itachi sat down in the seat across from her and stared determinedly into her jaded irises. Kabuto quickly read the mood in the room and excused himself to run some errands. Itachi wanted to ask so many questions at her course of action, but one seemed to rise above all the rest.

"Why?" he questioned.

"I... With me gone, I know I've worried Naruto and everyone else. And after what I've done to Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei?" she chuckled hollowly, "I can't go back after that. And I wouldn't even if I was given that opportunity. This way, we can move on from my defection. All of us can."

He laced his fingers together and set his hands in his lap.

"Why leave Konoha in the first place?"

She leaned forward.

"It's only polite if you answer the question too. But I don't think you'd want to answer that, right?" she said. At Itachi's blank face, her lips quirked upwards in the slightest, "Aha. That aside, I'm a little curious about your eyes. Your sharingan seems to always be on and I can't help but think that its causing a strain. Could I take a look? It'll just take a bit of your time, I promise."

At a few beats of silence, Itachi grunted and let the red fade into its regular dark color. Sakura grinned victoriously and moved to the seat beside his to begin the examination. As she raised her glowing hands to the sides of his head, she slipped into her bedside disposition and started up some trivial chatter.

In the beginning, it was just her talking with Itachi quiet and listening what she had to say. Eventually, he began adding his share to the conversation, though it wasn't much. After talking with her for much of the time, he inwardly conceded defeat.

 _'I was wrong about her.'_

Together, in that office, they conversed until dawn.

::

Zetsu rose from the ground of Fire Country's border in the blanket of night, surveying his surroundings with a keen eye. Not too long ago, he felt a cluster of particularly large amounts of chakra before arriving to this spot. If he put Sakura's 'body' here and left as quickly as possible, someone would find her almost immediately and word of her "death" would spread to all the nations like wild fire.

And if those chakra signatures were who he thought they were...

A conniving grin crossed his lips as he placed the replica's battered body on the ground. He arranged its limbs almost artistically and used an earth jutsu to tear down trees and create craters in the ground. He sensed the chakra signatures pause and run in his direction. As he was about leave, a cruel thought popped into his head.

" **How devious.** I like it."

Zetsu reached down and tore the edge of his cloak, making sure the Akatsuki cloud was on the ripped piece. He crumpled it up and rubbed it in blood before stuffing it into the copy's hand and disappearing.

Not too long after, Team Hebi appeared in the clearing. Suigetsu set his hands on his hips and whistled at the damage.

"Man, look at this! Total destruction! Must've been a real nasty fight, eh, Sasuke?"

He expected some snarky comment, but Sasuke said nothing. Suigetsu frowned and turned to see the Uchiha staring down impassively at the body draped across the debris. Unbeknownst to him, Sasuke's heart was pounding in his throat.

"Sas-"

"We're going to Konoha."

"Wh-What?" Karin stammered, "Why? Uchiha Itachi isn't-"

"And we're taking this body with us."

He scooped the body in his arms, uncaring of the blood that streamed down and stained his white shirt. Karin and Suigetsu both looked disgruntled at this turn of events but complied begrudgingly and started towards the direction of Konohagakure. Juugo hung back.

"Did you know her, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke looked down at the woman in his arms and raised a hand to shut close Sakura's eyelids. Her empty green eyes was starting to unsettle him.

"I did."

He began to walk.

"Once."

 **Day 31**

Itachi slowly strolled through the hallways of the hospital, committing everything to memory with his newer, clearer eyesight. He again had no idea why he was here. Sakura sent him over, specifically to the third floor. He was supposed to meet the receptionist because he supposedly had something he needed.

When he got to the front desk, he greeted the receptionist with a slight nod, his long bangs brushing against his new Otogakure hitai-ate.

"Excuse me, but Sakura-sama sent me here?"

The receptionist took a small packet off the desk behind him before handing it over.

"Yes. Here you are, Uchiha-san. Haruno-sama said to have one of these applications ready for you today. If you could fill it out and return it within three days, we'll process it for you. If everything runs smoothly, we can schedule a date for your interview."

Itachi blinked a couple of times before looking down at the papers in his hands, having no idea what was just said to him. After reading the top of the application, he stifled an amused reaction.

Sakura really was something else.

Pediatric Department Application

Position: Child Counselor

There was small note scribbled at the bottom of the page.

From the way you were talking days ago, I kind of got the vibe that you were tired of being an active shinobi, forced to kill people and such. Maybe it would be a nice turn of events if you could start helping these kids out?

\- Sakura

P.S.- I think Hidan-san will become your senpai if you do get accepted. Sorry about that.


	17. November: Part 1

_When Sasuke arrived at the gates, a red alert was almost raised throughout the village. Kotetsu and Izumo, who were the guards at the time, immediately jumped out from their posts and prepared to fight. They were confused when Sasuke did nothing and merely stared at them while he carried something in his arms._

 _Izumo was the first to notice the dried blood in mangled clumps of pink hair._

 _"You... What did you do?!" Izumo demanded, eyes glued to the corpse. He couldn't believe it. Sure, Haruno Sakura had done some pretty uncalled for things like leaving and being Asuma's assumed killer, but that didn't change the fact that they were friends before. He, along with nearly everyone else, had a small shred of hope that she'd return one day._

 _ **But this wasn't what he meant.**_

 _Kotetsu dragged his eyes away from the Uchiha and to the body in his arms. Shock slowly crawled into his veins and eventually gave him a sense of realization. He swallowed thickly before taking a step back._

 _"I'll notify ANBU."_

 **Day 1**

"That should be all the Akatsuki members, right?"

"Yes. Pein-sama said that Konan would be unavailable to us and if we counted correctly, the ones we've met are all the available members." Kabuto replied. Sakura smiled and looked back down at the reports she was previously reading through.

Marisu was starting to make a name for herself in the medical community as the headstrong Chief of Medicine that had a bark as strong as her bite. She was quick-witted and strong, making her a capable kunoichi both inside and outside the hospital. As confident as she was, she still kept the burnt part of her face hidden beneath her bangs. The house staff was smart enough not to question it.

Tobi as doing immensely well at the Academy and was one of the favored sensei. He was cheerful in his lectures and always managed to keep his kids engaged in the lesson. Kisame was doing great with his ANBU status and accompanied her on all her errands out of the village (mostly for the liquor). He was one of the strongest in her ranks and helped her with her paperwork when she needed a break.

Deidara had gotten a little happier than when she first met him, which she was pleased to find out. His team was able to soften him up enough to start having some fun. Hidan seemed to be going about rather well as a pediatric surgeon. Though for now, he was a PA who was slowly working himself up to M.D. He spent much of his time studying, passed every exam with flying colors, and was starting to get Sakura to think that he was actually a secret genius. That, and he had the prettiest writing style she'd ever seen.

Zetsu came by every now and again, popping in to see how everything was going and asking if Sakura needed anything of him. Most of the time, she'd shake her head no and ask if there was anything worth reporting or was hanging precariously on the grapevine. Usually there was nothing to say. But recently, he informed her about her "death".

"Uchiha Sasuke and his team found the replica." he said, "Almost immediately, Sasuke took it and headed towards Konoha. In an interesting fashion, I must note. He almost seemed concerned."

Kabuto glanced at Sakura for a reaction, but she merely smiled.

"Well, that just means it'll spread faster! That's wonderful!"

He knew it was anything but.

Kakuzu became the advisor Sakura turned to most often. Decades of experience backed him up, making him the most resourceful and the wisest out of everyone in Sakura's inner circle. Every shred of advice he'd given was helpful in some shape or form, be it a metaphorical or literal statement. Itachi actually became interested in the position of pediatric counselor, but he opted to take it as a part-time job. He didn't deem himself sociable enough to be around children full time, but he was pleased enough to help them whenever he could. The other times, he would be in the Intelligence Division, his brilliance contributing greatly to Otogakure.

Sakura couldn't be more satisfied in how everything played out. The village was growing, she gained allies that she never imagined she would get, and most importantly, she-

The door suddenly opened, a voice slithering into the office like warm oil before a person showed to accompany it. All was still.

"You know, when I first heard your name I couldn't believe my ears. How could the little girl who stood by Chiyo-baa's side betray the Will of Fire she almost sacrificed herself to protect?"

A short statured man sauntered into the room, blood red hair curling at the edges and a lazy grin plastered on a young human face.

"It must have been someone else, I thought. Someone who didn't have pink hair nor those eccentric green eyes. Yes, surely it wasn't that same girl- so young and so beautifully strong that became a _Kage_." he sighed, "But I was as wrong as the day I fought you. And here we are again."

He gestured to Sakura first.

"My killer."

Then to Kabuto.

"And my traitor."

He then grinned like a cheshire cat, showing the whites of his teeth and sending an uneasy feeling through the other occupants of the office.

"Let's all get reacquainted, shall we? My name is Akasuna no Sasori. How do you do?"

::

Naruto burst into the room, head immediately swiveling to the right at the four people chained and flanked by ANBU. Sai and Kakashi arrived in the office in a similar fashion, wide-eyed and at a loss of what was happening. Sasuke avoided their gazes and chose to stare at the Hokage instead. She herself was not pleased, lips pressed in a firm line and eyes hardened to the point one would mistake them for stone. Tsunade rapped her fingers on her desk slowly before raising those chilling eyes to meet Naruto's.

"I want you to hear him out before you run off to see for yourself." she said quietly. Tearing away from their confused faces, she then faced the ANBU, "All of you."

She proceeded with her line of questioning.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Where were you two days ago?"

He spoke in that same, monotonous tone he used as a young genin.

"Fire Country's border." he answered. Tsunade's hands began to tighten into fists.

"What did you find at the border?"

"A battlefield. And a corpse."

There was suddenly a foreboding air in the room. The rest of Team Hebi shifted their weights from foot to foot, clearly in dislike at the turn this conversation was taking. Naruto was clearly the most anxious out of everyone in the area. He was standing on the balls of his feet.

"Whose corpse was it?" Tsunade asked. Sasuke straightened up but lowered his gaze.

"... Sakura's. Haruno Sakura's."

Kakashi, surprisingly, was the first to react. He stepped forward with that signature crinkle in his eye, skepticism in each crease of his form.

"That can't be true. Perhaps you've gotten your facts wrong. It can't be... Sakura can't be _dead_."

Tsunade said nothing more and downed sake from the bottle on her desk. Shizune somberly raised her voice.

"We checked ourselves. In the morgue at the hospital-"

They were out of the room in a flash. One of the ANBU's arms dropped motionless to his side. Tsunade saw this and waved him out of the room. He quickly bowed and ran the hell out of there, forcing his legs to run towards the hospital. His mask had come off sometime during that break down the streets, revealing a normally bored face contorted in anguish.

Shikamaru didn't need this right now. Asuma passed only a couple months ago and he didn't need someone else dropping like this. Yeah, she was the one that killed his sensei, but it was still Sakura.

As he entered the bowels of the hospital, he almost looked away at the heartbreaking scene before him. The door to the morgue was wide open but he chose to look in through the gaping window. Naruto was bent over one of the shelves, sobbing into the white sheets that covered the unmoving outline beneath him. Sai leaned on the wall opposite of the shelves with a hand pressed to his mouth and his eyes glued to the body. And off in the far corner was Kakashi turned around, not even facing everyone else.

It was still Sakura.

Shikamaru slid down onto the ground.

 _It was still Sakura._

 **Day 2**

He loved the looks on their faces when he revealed who he was. Their utter disbelief pleased him to no end, though his sudden appearance was just scratching the surface. He was "brought back from the dead" just a little under a year ago and he still that had many questions that needed answers. What exactly happened since his demise? Who was dead? Who had yet to die?

Most of the time since his "resurrection", he spent his time confined and out of active duty to strengthen and get used to his human body. One would think that it would be an easy transition since he had previously been a human, but he cast away all that knowledge thinking that he'd never return to such a state again.

Deidara and Tobi helpfully, albeit a tad condescendingly, re-taught him how to become human again and informed him as much as they could about what played out in his absence. But they were part of the first few who left and decided to stay in Otogakure to operate under her. There was Kakuzu, of course, but he didn't spend much time at the base. That particular thought drew him back into the thinking that pervaded his mind since the Akatsuki meeting in March.

Haruno Sakura. What had prompted her to do such a thing?

Sasori meandered through the village with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his eyes drifting from building to building. The place didn't look half bad. Definitely nothing like Konoha but still had a homey feeling to it. He passed by the Shinobi Academy to see that the students had gathered outside on the training grounds. A tall man stood in the midst of them, happily explaining the lesson.

"We'll be throwing shuriken today!" he chirped, "Our targets are on those trees over there. Don't worry if it doesn't hit. This is only your guys' first try!"

Sasori narrowed his eyes.

 _Tobi. And he looked like a fucking Uchiha._

As the students scattered to take their weapons and lined up at the targets, Tobi caught his senpai's stare through the fence and waved amiably. Sasori nodded reluctantly in return before continuing on his way. An Uchiha look-alike. And an Academy sensei, to boot. That was one thing he never hoped to expect. He traveled deeper towards the heart of the village and saw something else he would have never expected- Deidara in the company of three others.

"You're so mean, sensei! The exams are still in March!"

"So, hm? You have to be prepared. I'll be so pissed if I have to get stuck with you all again because you were too stupid to pass the first time, un." Deidara said. He flipped his bangs out of his face before looking to the side.

"Oh! Sasori no Danna!"

The other blonde of the group slid next to Deidara with a cheeky smile.

"Danna?" Menma inquired slyly. Deidara didn't even spare a second in reaching over to whack the back of his head. He then grinned up at Sasori.

"You just get here? How do you like the place so far, un? Does it feel weird being here?"

He wasn't concerned so much about the place. It was the people- the other Akatsuki members that were intriguing him.

"... No. The village is fine."

 **Day 3**

They dressed her in white and had an open casket funeral. Cherry blossoms lined the silk interior as the moonlight lit up fading pink hair. A small crowd had come together in the far reaches of the Nara Forest. The council, those goddamn bastards, wouldn't allow a treasonist to be buried in Konoha's cemeteries. Naruto and Ino especially were more than outraged at this development and were _this_ close to committing assault. Shikamaru stepped up and offered to have her buried on Nara land. It wasn't under Konoha's control and they wouldn't have to worry about the scrutiny of those who believed her to be a true traitor.

All of the remaining Konoha 12, their sensei, Sai, Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, Sasuke, and a few other shinobi were in attendance. Even Kurenai and her daughter came to pay respects. The ceremony drew out through the night, silently and drearily.

Naruto teared up throughout the funeral. It seemed like only yesterday that they were twelve years old and fresh from the Academy. It seemed like only yesterday that they were naive little brats with wide smiles and no clue what the future had in store for them. It seemed like only yesterday that they were invincible and nothing in the world could stand in their way.

But that was years ago when dying never crossed their minds.

Ino was one of the first ones to leave, unable to stand the sight of her best friend any longer. In the early morning, the people trickled out until all who remained were the remnants of Team Seven, Sasuke still chained with chakra enforced shackles and standing ramrod straight beside Kakashi. Unbeknownst to them, two figures sat in the not too far off distance, hidden in the falling leaves and the slowly receding darkness. The taller one leaned to the side.

"We should get going. Don't want to get caught, y'know?"

Sakura sighed.

"Yeah. Let's go, Kisame-san."

 **Day 4**

Sasori poked and prodded at Sakura's biceps,amazed at how well built they were. Sakura eventually stopped reading her papers and looked over at him.

"Um, Sasori-san? Why...?"

"Your muscle definition is simply astounding. Even more so than when we first met. Are you really that opposed to becoming one of my puppets?" he purred. She pulled a face.

" _Yes. I'm sure._ "

 **Day 5**

There was something about her eyes that made her different from when he first met her. When she was fifteen, her eyes were bright and angry. There was a fire in them that he didn't see in many people. That was one reason he wanted Sakura in his collection- eyes like hers needed to be preserved for all eternity for the pure beauty encased in them.

But when he saw her again, those eyes had changed.

Green irises darkened and matured a considerable amount over the past three years. Their anger had settled and swam more behind her gaze than up front and personal like they used to be. They were warmer and more tired, somehow making them much more beautiful than before.

"Those aren't the eyes of a traitor." Sasori said, "Not by a long shot."

He set his forearms on the desk and leaned forward.

"So why would you do such a thing?"

Sakura stared him down with those stunning eyes and offered him a light, forced smile.

"Sometimes ignorance is the best kind of knowing."

 **Day 6**

"I wouldn't trust you with my life."

"Shove it up your ass, Pinocchio."

Hidan in a white doctor's overcoat would always be an image one would have to see to believe. It fit him in some odd way, though, he actually belonged in a medical setting. He looked so natural in those pastel purple scrubs.

 _'He looks like someone's dream.'_

Sasori glanced around the floor as Hidan scribbled something down onto a clipboard.

"Say... what drove you to this particular field? I can't imagine you walking up to the hospital and openly demanding that you wanted to be a surgeon of all things. Not to mention in pediatrics."

He didn't even look up from his writing.

"Sakura's fault. Basically."

Sasori tilted his head to the side.

"How so?"

He clicked his pen and set the clipboard down on the counter he leaned on.

"When I got here, I spent most of my time on the ledge outside her office. I heard the things she talked about and wanted to decide if she was worthy of the position myself. But she misconstrued my intentions, I guess, and thought I was bored. She gave me a medical textbook to see if I'd 'get interested in it'. BAM! An ulterior motive, don't you think? You don't just give someone a damn textbook to tell someone they might get interested."

Sasori's jaw slackened as Hidan continued on his spiel.

"I got interested like an idiot and played right into her stupid little hands. Later on at the music festival, she told me about this little boy. Another sneaky ass attempt to get me to do something. Not too long after that, she left an errand for me while her and four-eyes got pulled into this surgery or some shit like that. Long story short, I was there when they needed a surgeon, I performed a heart transplant, and now I'm a licensed physician in the pediatrics department. Fucking crazy, right?"

He received a blank stare.

"What?"

"Are you some secret genius? I don't recall you ever having the ability to be insightful or to exude such a level of intelligence. I thought you were just born to be a vulgar moron who would never know the word _misconstrue_ , much less use it correctly in a sentence."

"Hah?! What's that supposed to mean y-!"

"Hidan. The file."

They both turned to the side. Itachi had graced them with his arrival, donning a plain black t-shirt and pants with fishnet visible underneath his loose clothing. He too was wearing a doctor's overcoat with his ID hanging from the breast pocket.

UCHIHA ITACHI

PEDIATRICS DEPARTMENT

COUNSELOR

Sasori blinked. Hidan handed him the clipboard and pointed towards a room behind them.

"Oshiro Kazue. Seven years old, lost her father in the crossfire of a shinobi battle, and has a severe fear of fire. Good luck with her; she doesn't talk too much." he informed. Itachi scanned the information before nodding and starting down the hall.

"Call me senpai!"

"Hn."

Before Sasori could ask, Hidan shook his head.

"I don't know either. Uchiha's lost his fucking marbles."

 **Day 7**

"Sakura-san, there are suspected spies within the village."

"I see. Could you give me their names and descriptions, please? I'll have ANBU see to it right away."

Bunko chittered on about the two possible spies within Otogakure. Sakura then gave the information to Sasame and Kotohime before the owl took off. Sasori watched the exchange curiously.

"Oh? Slugs don't make the cut?"

Sakura shrugged.

"You know how it is."

No. He didn't.

 **Day 8**

"I fail to see how taking this position would have helped you find your beloved Sasuke-kun."

Sakura's hand twitched, sending a small, victorious grin to Sasori's lips. Oh, how he loved it when he knew he struck a nerve. From the side, Kabuto pushed up his glasses and tucked his notebook away in his pocket. He too wondered of her answer.

"He was a lost cause back when I was in Konoha, Sasori-san." she replied, "If Naruto couldn't persuade him to come back, there was nothing I could've done."

"But he's back now, isn't he? He surrendered and was sentenced to two years house arrest with the restraint of chakra."

"And all I had to do was die. Right? With my 'death', he's part of Konoha again and no longer my concern." she said. Kabuto smirked before hefting himself up to sit on the window sill, content with the look on Sasori's face.

 **Day 9**

"My mother died of cancer when I was fourteen. I remember it so vividly- her in that hospital bed as pale as the sheets she was bundled with. For so long, she was sick and I never knew. They never wanted to tell me. By the time they explained everything, she had two weeks left to live and spent most of her time unconscious." Sakura murmured. She stood atop the Otokage Tower, staring out over the village with Kabuto at her side. He sat on the ground with his back against the railing and his eyes turned upwards towards the sky. They needed a break like this every now and again.

"I promised her that I'd become a great kunoichi one day. That I'd make her proud with what I made of myself. She smile and said that I didn't need to go that far. She said she was already proud of me, but I don't think she really was."

"Mothers always say things like that. Normally. Their children are their legacies. You have to say you're proud."

Sakura looked down, Inner's laughter echoing in her ears.

"Yeah. I guess so."

 **Day 10**

There were a handful of people that Sasori could carry on a decent, lengthy conversation with. He was lucky enough to have one of those people in the Akatsuki. Kakuzu was wise and measured the words that came out of his mouth. Sasori could always rely on him for resourceful ideas and the inside story of nearly all the topics he could think of. So when he asked about Haruno Sakura and how he agreed to be her advisor, he was surprised to have receive an answer out of the ordinary.

"She listens, she's never overconfident in her abilities, and she knows when she's in the wrong. Sakura-sama may not be the best leader the world had ever seen, but she's damn better than a lot of them." Kakuzu said. Sasori frowned.

"Her? I know she's strong, but she looks like your average, unmentionable leader."

He was surprised once more when the other man smiled. Kakuzu no longer wore his mask, showing the stitches on the sides of his mouth.

"Bring the topic up again by the end of the month, and we'll see if your opinion's changed at all."

 **Day 11**

"Ah. Now I remember."

Sakura looked at him.

"Remember what?"

"Forehead girl."

Kabuto had to hold her back from pummeling the asshole into the ground.

 **Day 12**

Sakura paused when Sasori walked up behind her and ran both hands through her hair. He watched as the tresses fell just past her shoulders.

"I liked your hair short." he commented, "Will you cut it?"

Her eyes narrowed at such a random question.

"... Maybe... if I have the time?" she answered, "Why do you always ask such out of the blue questions like that? Wouldn't you be more content doing something other than lounging around in my office all day?"

He tipped over her shoulder and gave a wide, unsettling grin.

"I'm only observing." he said, "Don't worry too much, Sakura- _chan_. You'll only have to deal with me for a little while longer before I go on my merry way."

 **Day 13**

Sasori was like a cat. He'd be in and out of the office whenever he pleased and hung about her chairs or tinker with his puppets by the bookshelf. For the most part, he was silent and asked the occasional arbitrary question or tried to persuade her into becoming one of his puppets. Sakura never expected him to be so at ease around her and Kabuto. They were, after all, the two people who held the greatest reasons for Sasori to hold a boiling hate towards.

But he didn't look like he cared in the least. He just acted like a devious creature whose only intent was to cause discomfort.

Like a cat.

 **Day 14**

 _'You had a good life. People that loved you. Cherished you. And this is how you repay them. Disgusting.'_

Sakura laced her fingers and set her chin on them.

 _'That isn't even the best part! Why don't we go ahead and talk about Sasuke-kun? Konoha spent years trying to get him back. Tears, blood, and broken bones... but do you know what it took for him to go back? Your death! YOURS! Ha! Maybe you dropping off the face of the death was the best thing that could've happened!'_

She clenched her teeth.

 _'I guess you never really were needed.'_

Sasori stared at her with confusion. He called her name about three times already, but she made no inclination that she was listening. Her eyes angled towards her desk, half-lidded, empty, and not quite there. Kabuto walked in moments later and took one look at Sakura before walking to the file cabinet.

"Give her time. She'll be back to normal in fifteen minutes or so."

"Why?" Sasori questioned, "What's the matter with her?"

The younger man closed the cabinet and set his palms on the metal surface.

"... Let's just say that there are things on her mind that she needs to sort out sometimes. It never interferes with her work, I assure you. Sakura needs this, how do you say, constructive thinking time? It's... not serious."

Sasori glanced back down to that eerily blank face. He doubted that.

 **Day 15**

His members were settling in quite nicely, as he came to understand. They were reaching out to their underlying talents and exploring them to their full potential. Some he personally never would have figured.

But that didn't bother him in the slightest. It was all going according to plan.

Because it was something that he was flowing along with. There was one reason and one reason only that he sent the Akatsuki Otogakure.

Insurance.


	18. November: Part 2

**Day 16**

Konan frowned as she watched Pein stand out on the ledge of the tallest tower, basking in the rain and undoubtedly thinking about how "brilliant" his plan was. She was beginning to think that she should've protested his plan from the very start. He was growing exponentially unhealthy and obsessive in advancing the plan to such a degree. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself disagreeing with his stance.

The well being of her childhood friend in mind, she devolved into sheets of origami paper.

 _'Perhaps it's time I met Haruno Sakura.'_

 **Day 17**

Sasuke stared and pressed his lips into a thin line. He still couldn't believe that the gravestone in front of him was real. He just couldn't. It was just a prank to make him feel guilty and hurt as part of the payment for leaving everything behind all those years ago. Yes, that's what it was. They all would jump out and break into smiles at any second now and laugh and tell him how bad he fell for this joke. Then Sakura would emerge from some hiding place and hug him and tell him how long she waited for him to come back home. To come back to her.

And so he lingered, ANBU watching his every movement from the trees. One of them made themselves visible.

"Your time is up."

He complied and turned to follow the shinobi towards the Uchiha family estate. Sasuke took one last, somber look over his shoulder.

... If he never left, would this still have happened?

 **Day 18**

It was a calm morning.

Kisame was staring intently at the cards in his possession, wondering how he managed to get such a good hand. This rarely ever occurred for him. And if this was what he had, Sakura must have that absurd diamond royal flush that she always seemed to get. He placed his cards down.

"Royal flush. Spades." he said. Sakura blinked down at them before silently showing her own. A two of clovers, four of spades, ten of hearts, nine of clovers, and king of clovers.

She lost. _With a junk hand._

They played six more games with each being a little more frantic than the last. But every single time, Sakura would lose with absolutely nothing of value, and Kisame kept winning with the rarest sets of cards. At the end of their seventh game, Kisame slapped his cards down and rubbed his face with his palms.

"Goddammit." he groaned, "Someone's going to die. Or an entire economy's gonna collapse. Better yet, the whole world's gonna fucking implode!"

Last time she consecutively lost a card game or another sort of gambling game, five teams of Otogakure chuunin were attacked and sent to the ICU. Another time, a virus spread and affected a third of the village. If Sakura had gotten just plain terrible cards every single round, something very bad was going to happen very soon.

All in Kisame's constant moaning about an inevitable disaster, she noticed a sheet of origami paper flutter outside her window.

 **Day 19**

This had to be one of the worst headaches she'd ever experienced. He heart was in her brain, pounding relentlessly. It felt like a scalpel was carving into her skull, making her clutch her head and send jolts of healing chakra into her head. It wasn't getting better, and Inner's chanting wasn't helping one bit.

 _ **'Traitor! Traitor! Traitor! Traitor! TRAITOR! TRAITOR! TRAITOR! TRAITOR!'**_

She couldn't think of anything else. She couldn't hear another thing besides that cursed word. At this point, she couldn't even remember where she was. Kabuto set down his things and moved the hair out of Sakura's face to feel her forehead. Her face was burning hot and beads of sweat dripped down her cheeks. He grimaced and gently pulled her hands from the sides of her head. The chakra she was forcing into her system was doing more harm than good.

"Sakura-sama! Sakura-sama, can you hear me?"

She didn't reply.

"I told you not to overwork yourself..." he sighed.

 **Day 20**

"Go back to bed."

"I told you, I'm fine."

"You ran a fever of 107 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday and could barely stand on your own. You're still sick, Sakura-sama!"

"I'm fine enough. Really."

"Sakura-sama!"

Sakura abruptly stopped and turned around, Kabuto nearly crashing into her. She gave him a bright smile and paid no mind to how her cheeks flushed red with the heat of her fever.

"I have a duty, Kabuto. I'm not letting a small bug stop me." she said, "Here. Let me just get through all the important things that stacked up on my desk, and then I'll get back to bed. Happy?"

Kabuto pursed his lips.

"... Fine. But nothing too strenuous."

As the two entered the office, they spotted Bunko on the desk. Her feathers were ruffled in all directions and her wings were extended out half way, like she just landed. Never had they seen her so unreserved.

"Sakura-san. Kabuto-san. This letter from the leader of Jomae Village is of utmost importance!"

 _To the Dear Otokage; Haruno Sakura_

 _Ah. So this is how it turns out to be. What, you may ask? Well, do you remember just who we are? Jomae. Those who thrive on espionage._

 _We don't exactly make friends, you see._

 _You're rather young and still naive of mind. I don't blame you for not seeing this coming. What we want? What we always do. Information. Out spies don't seem to be very productive, as they always end up dead from poisoning. Perhaps it was a mistake to train your shinobi in our arts... but a ruse is a ruse._

 _So we'll take the more straightforward approach this time. A treat. Give us the information we desire or there will be dire consequences. I'll trust you'll make the correct decision._

 _And come yourself. It'll be more intriguing that way. Send anyone else and I, definitely, will personally deliver four packaged hearts to your doorstep._

 _Best Wishes,_

 _Jomae Village Head_

A chuunin came into the office at that moment.

"Ma'am! We have four confirmed disappearances of civilian children. Would you like us to launch an investigation?"

Kabuto's attention immediately went to Sakura. Her face was carefully passive, though her arms were so tense that her veins became visible on the underside of her forearms as he knuckles grew ghostly white.

"No. I'll be taking care of that myself."

He knew it would be useless to try to dissuade her from what she was about to do, so he accepted it with a tilt of his head.

"I'll send Hoshigaki-san after you. Kakuzu-san and I will keep watch in your absence." he said. She nodded, spun on her heel, and strut out of the office. Her eyes were lagoons of threatening anger, and those in the hallways jumped out of her way from the deadly aura she emitted. There were few incidents when they saw pure fury seethe from her very being. They all very quickly learned not to bother her in this state. If they did, they'd run the risk of pissing themselves or accidentally being sent through numerous walls.

Whoever made her this mad truly had hell to pay.

 **Day 21**

Sasori chose to tag along on this escapade, interested in how Sakura was going to deal with the problem. He didn't think she'd give them the information they'd ask for. She held too much honor for herself and her village that she'd most likely die rather than sell her people out. Sakura was also too compassionate for her own good. Risking her life for four children she probably never met? A foolhardy choice, if he had anything to say about it.

"Sakura-sama's only an hour ahead of us. We can take a small break." Kisame said as he leapt down from the tree line and landed on the side of a road.

"Hm... Kisame, don't you think that she acts on her emotions too much? It seems unfitting of a leader." Sasori commented. He sat down beneath the shade of a large tree and brought a hand down to massage his calves. His body was still adjusting to the muscle strain of a shinobi's build, and loitering around indoors for nearly a month hadn't helped. Kisame looked up at the birds.

"I wouldn't say Sakura-sama's unfitting." he mused as he scratched his cheek, "She's a good kid, you know. Sure she's more emotional than a shinobi should be, but those emotions were what kept her going when she took over. I don't think she would've made it this far without them."

"Wouldn't emotion cloud her judgment?" Sasori asked. Kisame gave him a teasing grin as he unlatched Samehada from his back.

"Are you really concerned about that or are you still bitter about the fact that Sakura-sama kicked your shit in?"

Sasori snorted.

"As if."

 **Day 22**

 _ **'Kill them.'**_

 _'I will.'_

 _ **'Show them no mercy.'**_

 _'I won't.'_

 _ **'Oh? You won't? I know the way you think. You don't like to kill and will try to do so as little as possible. Ahead of you are what, twenty, thirty people waiting for that information? How many are you willing to murder for the sake of four children?'**_

Sakura lowered her eyes.

 _'... As many as it takes.'_

 **Day 23**

She arrived at about ten o'clock in the evening. At about a mile away from Jomae Village, a large cluster of shinobi surrounded the area, the leader greeting her with a wide smile.

"Haruno-san, so glad you could make it! We do have much to discuss." he said. Sakura glared at him.

"First the children. Are they unharmed?"

The leader made a hand gesture. Two masked shinobi appeared, each with a pair of bound children in their arms. Three were unconscious and the fourth, a small girl no older than five, started tearing up at the sight of Sakura as they were set off to the side.

The Otokage had come to save them.

"They're completely fine. A bit scared, but physically alright, nonetheless." he said, "Now. That information we agreed on..."

Sakura smiled.

"We agreed on nothing, jackass."

Suddenly, a cacophony of shrills resounded in their ears. Sakura took this opportunity to slam her fist into the ground, her hearing immune to the sound. She had been around owls long enough for Bunko to entrust her with the privilege to resist an owl summon's screech. Their cries, when laced with chakra, had the ability to disorient an opponent. Sakura ran through the debris towards the kids.

"Are you alright?" she questioned. She untied their bindings and quickly assessed the knocked out three. The only conscious child nodded.

"Ye-Yes, Haruno-sama. Thank you so much! W-We, I..."

Sakura patted her head.

"It's okay now. Kimi-chan, right?"

The girl nodded again. Sakura extended her arm for Bunko to land on.

"This is Bunko-san." she introduced, "She'll watch you while I deal with all of this. Hide as best as you can and be quiet. One of my friends will be here soon to take you all home. His name is Kisame and he's tall and blue. Can you be a big girl and wait until he comes and finds you?"

Kimi nodded a third time. Sakura turned and bolted back towards the battlefield. It took one look at the smug-faced leader and his reinforcements for her to freeze and widen her eyes to the size of discs.

"You didn't really think I'd come unprepared, did you?" he mocked. Behind him were about two-hundred shinobi, all probably chuunin level and higher.

 _'Oh god, I'm going to die.'_

The Jomae Head bit his thumb and went through a flurry of hand signs, one Sakura recognized all too well, and slammed his hand onto the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

An enormous cloud of smoke exploded before her then promptly dispersed. The summon left in its wake made Sakura's heart drop in her stomach. The slug looked down.

"Sakura-chan." Katsuyu greeted sadly, "I heard that you had passed."

The young woman mustered up a grin.

"You can't believe everything you hear, can you?"

The shinobi gave a collective war cry before running forward.

::

When they say trees collapsing in the distance, they sped up to the point where the naked eye could hardly see them.

"Damn, it started!" Kisame cursed. Sasori slipped his scrolls from his belt and prepared to bring out his puppets. Granted he had nowhere near the number he had pre-dating his, Sakura's, and Chiyo-baa's fight, but he had managed to repair the Sandaime and nine others to full working capacity. At their slightly late arrival, they paused to gape at the sheer number of people and the level of destruction it was all nearing.

"Fuck." Kisame whispered, "Where the hell is she?"

The huge slug at one end of the field inhaled before spitting out a stream of acid. It crashed somewhere in the middle, breaking ground and driving some of the shinobi back. Sasori caught sight of Sakura vaulting up in the air. She discarded her cloak and ripped off the right sleeve of her turtleneck.

"That all you got?!"

It was twelve o'clock in the morning.

 **Day 24**

Sasori and Kisame rushed into the chaos. Kisame himself wasn't a fan of night fighting. Don't get him wrong, he still loved a good battle, but his eyesight didn't work too well past sundown and he couldn't commit his opponent's face to memory when it was pitch black. The scene in front of him seemed like a great fight he could get into , but it was all a mess of water, wind, and upturned ground.

"Kisame!" he heard Sakura yell, "The kids! Get the kids and get them back to Oto- CHA!"

Two bodies flew past him.

"-gakure! That's an order!"

::

Kisame smacked Sasori's shoulder and motioned towards the sidelines.

"I'm leaving this to you, Sasori-san! Make sure Sakura-sama's safe!"

Sasori grunted as he sent two puppets forward, both of whom were wielding poisoned swords. The fight made him reminiscent of he younger days, especially when he took down Bird Country with his army. There weren't as many people as that day, but they were certainly stronger.

A group of shinobi broke off from attacking Sakura and headed straight for him. He sent four more puppets to rain hell on his opponents. He clicked his tongue when one of the shinobi managed past a wooden body and sliced its chakra strings before aiming for the puppet master. Sasori dodged and shoved a kunai in their chest.

"Tch. You don't storm an enemy like that."

"You attack from behind, right?"

A foot connected to his side, sending him sliding a few feet to the right. Sasori grit his teeth and took out his seventh puppet- the one with water jets built into the palms. His abdomen burned in a way he hadn't felt for years.

 _'He got half my rib cage.'_

He probably shouldn't have put off all his physical therapy. Another foot came out of nowhere and crashed into his kneecap. Sasori hissed and collapsed on his good leg. He watched at they severed his connection to his other puppets and walked towards him, three of them holding a katana.

"Well, " one of them sighed, "I was hoping that the famed Akasuna no Sasori would live up to his reputation. Apparently being human is too much of a disability, hm?"

Sasori pressed his lips together and thought of his options. He could reach for a kunai or shunshin away, but there were too many people for him to get away with something. Making a run for it was implausible with his leg condition, and if he made too much movement, he ran the possibility of puncturing his lungs.

He was fucked either way. And to be honest, he would've preferred to truly die at the hands of that little brat rather than to these no-named shinobi.

 _'I never would have fit in with everyone else in Otogakure anyways.'_

He closed his eyes.

::

"You're a real piece of shit, old man."

Sasori's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw were three blades mere inches from his face, dripping with blood and suspended. Next he saw the black shirt singed in numerous places with the distinct smell of a strong acid wafting in the air. Last came that pink hair strung with dirt and clumped in masses.

"Do you think I'm just going to let you give up? With those broken bones? Give me a break!"

The arm with the ripped sleeve was laced with a swirl of purple lines, like a vine slowly suffocating a tree branch. Pure chakra seeped from her being in front of him. In the blink of an eye, she had removed the blades from her stomach and crushed the offending shinobi into the ground beneath her. Her head slowly turned to him where he could see that those purple trails had marked her face as if she were a warrior leader.

"Akasuna no Sasori- the man who took over an entire country, will let himself be bested by these shinobi? I won't have it! Not when I'm around to see it!" Sakura snarled. She turned and snapped the sword of one of her opponents before grasping his neck with a bare hand, sending him into the depths of an intricately woven genjutsu. He dropped onto the ground with a quiet _thud_.

"We don't take death like that! We go out fighting or we don't go out at all, _shannaro_!"

She stalked forward and snatched Sasori by the collar of his shirt. Sakura brought him so close that he could feel the intensity of her glare on his cheeks.

"If you want to die, fine, but do it on your own time." she growled, "But we're in the heat of battle against cowards I know we can take. If you're going to buck up with your tail between your legs, get the hell out of here! But if you're going to fight like the man I fought three years ago, then we're going to win even if it's the last thing we ever do!"

He was wrong about those green eyes. Their anger had indeed not settled beneath a warm, tired stare like thought within the first week he'd been in Otogakure. They were the same eyes of her fifteen year old self.

Bright and angry.

 _With every intent to never lose._

Sasori whacked her hand away and balanced himself on his good leg.

"Idiot."

He reattached his puppets to his chakra string and summoned the rest of them, completing the appearance of his ten puppet collection. A smirk grew on his face as he poised himself for battle.

"Who's going to buck up with their tail between their legs?"

 **Day 25**

Sakura jumped through the trees with Sasori on her back.

"My pride is lowering with each second."

"Suck it up. You lost your pride when you lost your puppet body."

"Rude. But point taken."

Victory was relatively bitter to their tongues with the deaths that surmounted in the battle until morning. At the defeat of the Jomae Head- who did nothing but show a weak display- Katsuyu promised to keep her lips sealed and reveal nothing about Sakura's true state. Sasori couldn't even walk with the remains of one leg, so Sakura carried him on their way back to Oto despite his numerous protests.

The seal on her forehead no longer glowed white, but faded into a subtle spring green diamond that very much resembled Tsunade's. Her skin still had those purples lines in contrast to the black ones Tsunade utilized.

"So why is it that your seal looks different than your mentor's?"

"I think it has something to do with summons. This seal is normally correlated with slugs, but since I applied it to owls, I guess the color changed." she replied. Sakura could have very well healed his leg and ribs and made him walk himself, but that would take up too much chakra. With what she had left, she could get Sasori and herself back to the village quicker and they could both get treated for their injuries.

One more day. She just needed to last out one more day.

"You neck is warm. Hot, even." he commented with a furrowed brow, "You didn't rush into that fight with a fever, did you?"

...

"... _Moron_."

 **Day 26**

It was a relatively good day. The hospital wasn't too busy with no emergencies or outbreaks or problem patients. Hidan was on the first floor at the emergency bay, picking up some documents for the kids upstairs when there was a blast of smoke. Two bodies tumbled out, one unconscious and the other cursing as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Sakura-sama! She's out cold!"

"Is that Sasori-san?!"

"What happened?!"

Sasori jerkily motioned to Sakura's unmoving body as they helped him onto a stretcher.

"Most of her injuries are healed because of her seal, but I know there are fragments of metal in her lower abdomen. I saw her heal them in." he informed. As he was wheeled away, he saw all the available doctors on the floor frantically, but very carefully, pick Sakura up from the ground and transport her to Operating Room Five.

Hidan was caught up in that crowd.

::

She looked like absolute hell, but he didn't know why they wanted him to operate on her. Perhaps it was his reputation of having the steadiest hands in pediatrics or that he was one of the most careful and accurate of the surgeons in the hospital. He had to be accurate. Children were more fragile than adults and demanded greater caution in their procedures.

Hidan cut open Sakura's shirt, frowning at the three ragged lines and one straight line that were healed on her stomach. Her vitals were hit. He picked up a scalpel and began the procedure- he didn't think there'd be use for an anesthetic now.

Unfortunately, Sasori's claims were correct. Bits of metal were littered in her abdomen. He slowly extracted the pieces and dropped them in the tray beside him. Sixteen metal fragments later, he stitched her back up and had another doctor heal it halfway before they moved her over to repeat the process. After cutting off what was left of her shirt, there was a short stillness that went around the room.

Shinobi were expected to sustain various injuries over the course of their career, but anything massive rarely ever came to be. But there, before their very eyes, was one of the biggest scars most of them had ever seen. It looked to be at least an inch in width, centimeter in depth, and ran the entirety of the length from her left hip to her right shoulder. A few acid burns dotted the rest of her skin.

Hidan was quick to recover. He adjusted his grip on the scalpel and continued his work.

::

He stepped out of the operating room with a sigh as he stripped off his surgical gloves and tossed them in the trash can. Pulling off his mask, he spotted Marisu and Kabuto by the viewing window.

"Rinha. Four-eyes." he greeted, "She'll live, I think. I got all the metal out and she pretty much healed those fatal injuries herself. Her chakra's almost at absolute zero, so I've got no clue when she'll wake up. A month? Maybe not at all? Seems like it with how fucked up she is."

Kabuto nodded, taking one last glance through the window before bidding Marisu and Hidan goodbye and stiffly heading back to the Otokage Tower.

 **Day 27**

"This doesn't look like my doctor's office. But I like yours. It's real pretty, Uchiha-sensei. But my doctor only has mag'zines and I don't really like them."

The room did have a sort of calming effect. The walls were painted a soft blue-gray with pictures of popular cartoon and story characters hanging in black frames. A tall book shelf sat against one of the walls filled with children's books and popular movies for those ages six and under. Bean bags and plushies were scattered all over the green carpeted floor, the counselor's own chair situated in the corner closest to the door.

"There are many books you can enjoy here, Kimi-chan." Itachi mentioned, "Do you have a favorite one? The Little Red Academy Girl? Jun and the Bamboo Shoot?"

Kimi 'hmm'd' as she squeezed one of the teddy bears.

"I did like those ones before but... Now I like the Dragon Princess! She's like- She's like Sakura-sama and Sakura-sama is my favoritest person in the world!"

Itachi silently flipped a page on his clipboard and took out a pen from his breast pocket.

"Why do you like Sakura-sama so much?" he questioned. Kimi's face instantly lit up as she jumped to her feet, teddy bear forgotten.

"You shoulda' been there, Uchiha-sensei! When those meanies took us 'way, they kept sayin' that nobody was gonna come for us! But- But then Sakura-sama came and broke the floor into a bagillion pieces and it was so _cool_! There was like a million of the meanies and the birdie with the big eyes said that they were Jomae? I dunno what that means."

Itachi jotted down a few bullet points.

"She was punchin' 'em and kickin' 'em and stuff before that red hair guy and Kisa-nii-san came. He looks like that scary fish a the 'quarium Mama took me to once, but he wasn't scary. He was really funny. I like him." Kimi said. Itachi repressed the urge to smile. Kisame's fan club grew a little bit every day and he was pleased to note that his previous partner, who stood at an astounding 6'7", was starting to freak out every time someone happily greeted him on the streets.

 _"These people are freakin' insane."_ Kisame would whisper in fear.

"And then Kisa-nii-san took us back home." Kimi continued, "Mama and Papa said they were worried. I think they got even more worried when I told them what I wanted to do now."

He leaned forward curiously.

"And what is it that you want to do?"

She beamed.

"I wanna go to the Academy and be just like Sakura-sama one day!"

 **Day 28**

It was the Yin Seal. The color was different, but the shape and its purpose was unmistakable. The strain of that technique coupled with how bad her fever was had a great chance of resulting in her death. Kabuto sighed and sat down on the foot of her bed as he stared at her vital signs.

"Sakura-sama... A month, they say. Or maybe not at all. But you _have_ to wake up."

::

 _ **'Is that all you can do? Hm. You're better off dead.'**_

 _The mind was a terrible place to be trapped in. It twisted one's greatest fears into a reality that was nearly impossible to escape from. In Sakura's mind, the world was dark and unforgiving. The skies were poisoned an ugly green with the scent of death hanging heavily in the air. Otogakure was in ruin, the walls and all the buildings crumbled into piles of rock and gravel. Bodies were strewn about in every direction, all their blood collecting into the center of what was left of the village. Inner, a silhouette with cruel white eyes and an even crueler smile, sat atop the dead bodies of Naruto and Deidara._

 _ **'Give in.'**_ _she sneered,_ _ **'It'll hurt less.'**_

 _Sakura was drowning in that blood pool. It's warm thickness encased her lungs and tried to pull her down below the surface._

 _"No!" she gasped before being yanked down for the thirty-first time. The blood bubbled for a few seconds until her head broke free, "I'm... I'm not dying he-"_

 _She submerged again. Inner rolled her eyes._

 _ **'Trying is useless. You're done for, Sakura! You're gone! You're never going to wake up!'**_

 **Day 29**

Sasori hobbled down in the hospital, his crutches making light clacks in the murmuring hallways. His ribs had indeed gone and punctured his lungs like he thought. He was sent into surgery to repair his organs and to re-align his bones. His physical therapy sessions were scheduled next month if he chose to stay. He looked up at his surroundings to find that his legs, no matter how messed up they were, had carried him to the ICU. He spotted Sakura's door easily as it was the only one with a different protection tag in the bottom corner and undoubtedly had disguised ANBU watching from everywhere on the floor.

He saw Kakuzu sitting beside the room and nodded in greeting.

"Sasori." Kakuzu returned, "I see that your new body is treating you well."

"Fantastic." he drawled. Sasori sat down in the empty seat beside him and placed his crutches against the wall. "The broken leg was an especially nice addition."

The edge of Kakuzu's mouth twitched. The two sat there for a while, staying silent and merely observing the flow of hospital duty. Perhaps after a few minutes, Sasori spoke.

"She's selfless. Irritatingly so."

Kakuzu nodded.

"She tends to care for others more than herself. It may not be the most conventional in some situations, but it's a good trait to have in her position. She'll take it too far in many cases-"

Sasori glanced to the side.

"-but it's all in good reason. Is that why you're here? Because she risked her life to save yours?"

Her silence told earfuls for him and the hard line of his lips showed just how dismayed he was. That's the exact reason he was here, wasn't he? Sakura assisted in killing him three years ago and he was sure she shouldn't have minded if she witnessed his death for the second time. But she save him. Encouraged him to get back onto his feet like the shinobi he was supposed to be. Then she carried him to Otogakure with him on her back.

What a stupid, stupid girl.

"What's her status?" Sasori asked. Kakuzu mused at the obvious avoidance tactic as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Still the same. If she doesn't improve soon, there's a great chance that her heart will stop."

Sasori looked at the door, frown deepening.

 **Day 30**

 _Sakura was starting to get very, very tired._

 _Her efforts were futile. No matter how hard she kicked or how hard she swam, she always ended up in the center of the pool with something heavy dragging her down by her ankles. There was more blood in her lungs now than in any other part of her body. Was it hers? She stopped worrying about it hours ago. Inner was bored on the side, inspecting her nails and waiting for the moment Sakura would give herself up to death's nimble fingers._

 _She smirked when she saw the head of hair duck down for the next few seconds and the bubbles receded to nothing._

 _Well, it seemed she didn't have to wait long._

 _::_

'Giving up? I don't want to. I never want to. But... I can't move anymore. I can't breathe. I can't...'

 _Her eyes began to flutter shut, the edges of her vision crawling to black with each passing moment. Perhaps this was her payment for what she'd done. Leaving Konoha, killing Asuma, 'conspiring' with a universal threat, and faking her own death were perfect means of this particular fate. Just before the moment her sight was about to go completely blank, she heard two soft voices swimming near her ears._

 _"I didn't believe her in the beginning, and I'm sure you didn't either. But there was something in there... I don't know how to describe it. Something different."_

'Sasori-san?'

 _"Everyone's different. Sakura-sama's no exception. A young mind like hers is fresh and open- more so than old crones such as myself. She's part of the generation that will make the change the world needs."_

'Kakuzu-san?'

 _Sakura pried her eyes open and weakly kicked herself upwards towards the sound of the voices._

 _"Maybe you're right, maybe you aren't. It all depends on her, doesn't it? If she survives, she'll wake up to a growing city she need to further nurture. If she dies, at least she died protecting those children who deserve a chance."_

 _She paused. Those words... No, those couldn't be his. Sasori always looked at her as an equal and probably never as an authority figure. He'd never condone her reckless actions either, saying that rescuing four unremarkable civilians was only a waste of her time and effort. Kakuzu seemed to have a similar reaction._

 _"Not that's something interesting. You're gone for a few days and you come back a changed man. What happened out there?"_

 _There were a few beats of silence as Sakura struggled to get to the surface._

 _"Once, I stabbed her with a poisoned blade, expecting her to die. But she grabbed it and looked at me with this ferocity. A will to live. I'll admit that I gave up in the fight that forced her into this state and was ready to accept death again. She wouldn't let me. She took three hits to the same place I aimed years ago, insulted me, and made me fight with everything I had left. I was annoyed, yes, but..."_

 _There was an audible sigh._

 _"But it's something I have to thank her for."_

 _::_

 _Inner walked over to the blood pool and peered over the edge. Nothing. She scoffed and shook her head._

 _ **'What a shame. I have no one to mock anymore.'**_

 _She turned to leave the mindscape when there was a harsh splashing sound and something came out to grab her leg. Inner snapped her gaze down to see a blood-soaked hand gripping her calf. Along with the hand came another until the top half of Sakura's body emerged from the pool._

 _'_ _ **You-!'**_

 _Inner stopped herself when Sakura looked up, eyes blazing like a forest fire._

 _"This is my head and my stakes you're toying with, Inner, but I think you've forgotten something." she hissed, "I was able to build a nation, and I'll be damned if I let some fucked up conscience take over my own mind!"_

::

Kakuzu glanced over at his associate with a twinkle in his eyes. It didn't take much for him to get hooked, did it? Not like he could say anything about it. Both of them turned to look out the window, quietly enjoying the afternoon skies. Sakura had changed the both of them, hell, the entire Akatsuki without having to try. She gave the chance none of them knew they earned, and with it, they were never going to let it go.

They were going to better themselves. It could take their whole lives, but they were going to right their wrongs and be loyal to a village like they never could the first time.

Quite suddenly, the heart monitor sped up and coarse, sleep-torn voice broke the calm.

"Are you two geezers really watching the sunset in my room?"


	19. December

Winter in Oto was colder than in Konoha, but it wasn't terribly awful. Luckily there weren't any harsh blizzards or unforgiving temperatures, but there was a heavier snowfall. Though it wasn't a problem as it seemed to make most of the village residents happier. Many children played out on the streets and it was nearing the time when school, both civilian and shinobi, let out for holiday vacation.

Sakura leaned back in her seat clad in white pants and a light green sweater. Only recently had she been let out of the hospital and, after an unbelievingly long reprimanding from Kabuto, was allowed back to completing office work. There would be no training for her the following few months nor would she be allowed to leave the village during her recovery time. One reason was her health concern, and the other was the whole Jomae incident. A massacre- as it had been reported to the Great Shinobi Nations. She had to keep a low profile for as long as these investigations took place.

It made her sick to think of all the people that died by her hands. But they had tried to take the lives of the innocent- it had to be done.

"Sakura-sama, has she started to speak to you again?" Kabuto asked as he placed a plate of dango on her desk. She shook her head.

"No. She actually hasn't appeared since I woke up in the hospital, so I think that's a good thing." she replied. It was as if Inner had never existed. There was no mock or chime, not even an inkling at the back of her head to watch out for whatever she'd say. It was a relieved and welcomed feeling she hadn't experienced in years.

"Good." he said, "Now there's less distraction and you have no reason to slack off."

Heartless.

::

There were two knocks on her door.

"Enter."

Sasame poked her head through the doorway.

"Sakura-sama, the leader of Amegakure is here to see you." she informed. Sakura straightened up in her seat and motioned for Sasame to bring them in. Both her's and Kabuto's minds went blank when a man they've never seen before, accompanied by Konan, slowly walked into the office. His hair was a dulled maroon that hid half of his incredibly pale face.

"How wonderful to meet you face to face, Sakura-san. My name is Nagato, the true leader of the Akatsuki as well as the head of Amegakure." he greeted. As Sakura shook his hand, she wondered how a frail, sickly man could have such power in his palms. Then again, she really couldn't say anything when she herself, with the situation she encounter, had such a high standing.

"Pleasure to meet you, Nagato-san. What is it I can help you with?"

One of his bony arms were linked with Konan's as she helped lower him into a seat.

"I came to talk about the reason I sent my members here in the first place. I have a plan in mind to... how do you say... _expand_ Akatsuki's reaches. If our goals had struggled to be met before, there certainly isn't anything holding us back now with another capable village backing us up." he commented. Sakura laced her fingers together and leaned forward a bit.

"Goals?" she asked, "What kind of goals are you talking about?"

His face was blank when he answered her question.

"World peace through the means of tailed-beat coercion."

...

"... Could you please explain that?"

::

"Sorry Kakuzu-san, Kisame-san. Sakura-sama is in a very important meeting right now and I'm afraid that I can't let you see her." Sasame said. Her and Kotohime stood on either side of the office door in their ANBU gear. Kisame glanced down the hallway and noticed that it was more crowded than it would normally be. Someone from the big leagues must be in there.

"I see." Kakuzu replied, "And who might be the one visiting her?"

"I think you know him. You were previously Akatsuki, right? He's your leader."

"Pein-sama?"

"No. Nagato-sama."

Kakuzu and Kisame exchanged glances. Nagato was a foreign name to their ears and they couldn't recall ever hearing in the Akatsuki. They bid the two guards goodbye before slipping out of the building and appearing just above Sakura's office window, chakra masked. Maybe it was the new lifestyle that edged in nosiness they never really cared to have before, but they now were more than curious to who this so-called leader was. Kisame peered over the side and saw the window cracked open large enough to hear the conversation trickling out.

"World peace through the means of tailed beast coercion."

...

"... Could you please explain further?"

::

"We're mercenaries. A very peculiar kind. The first goal is to obtain enormous amounts of money. I used to offer the Akatsuki's services under the competitive rate to draw in more customers and profit. Thus the customers, who were individuals, will soon turn to us and become dependent. Once we gain that dependence and all the tailed beasts, we will be the supreme power in the world. If we have the ability to start and quell wars within minutes, we will usher in a new era of peace. With your help and with the growing reputation of the village, this could be the main center of the cause. This won't be a world of suffering any longer. And with my members here, this course of action is assured, isn't it, Sakura-san?"

Kabuto looked at Sakura. Her fingers were still laced and her expression was kept perfectly placid. He was surprised. Her reaction was much different than what he was expecting. Konan cast her eyes down to the side, something that didn't go unnoticed by Kabuto.

"So what I've gathered from that is your main endgame is peace." Sakura concluded, "I can't see anything wrong with that point."

She folded her hands in her lap.

"I'm more concerned about your steps to get there. To put it simply, you want to scare the world into the way you see fit. I can't say that I'm fully in agreement to that." she said. Nagato was unfazed at the expected reaction and gave a cursory stare to the window they both knew was open.

"As a child, I became an orphan in the Third Shinobi World War. My parents were murdered by Konoha shinobi, making my rinnegan awaken."

::

They were uninformed of this part of their cause. Peace is what they were told they would come to achieve, not this hybrid, twisted sense of totalitarian rule. Kisame sat up and looked at Kakuzu with hard eyes.

" _The all deserve to know this._ " he mouthed. Kakuzu nodded as they both disappeared to gather the others.

::

"It was Konan, a boy named Yahiko, and myself in that war-torn country of Rain. We were orphans with no where to go and no future ahead of us. We then saw Jiraiya and the other two sannin fighting against Hanzo. They were strong and seemingly unbeatable- like gods of the battlefield. We begged for them to train us, and eventually we became Jiraiya's students." Nagato explained. Sakura's eyes narrowed a fraction as she listened to him speak. There was an uncomfortable resemblance between him and Naruto.

"He trained us to the best of his ability before returning to Konoha. The three of us got stronger as time went on, and eventually we came to create the Akatsuki. We strove for peace and sought to rid the country of the tyrant, Hanzo. We were led by Yahiko on the battlefield and won. At the cost of nearly all of our original members and Yahiko himself... All he wanted was a world of peace, but all he got in return was a vision he couldn't see through the end."

Konan's hand twitched.

"His dream will be realized." Nagato assured, "It will not matter how many steps I, as a leader, will have to take. Their deaths will not be in vain."

::

Itachi's lips thinned at the statement. He, along with the other previous members of the Akatsuki, were leaned over the ledge above the Otokage's office after Kisame and Kakuzu rounded them up and dragged them to the roof. After calming down enough to mask their chakra and heighten their auditory sense, they heard the true intent behind the Akatsuki.

Most of them, if not all, had some rage underlying their calm after finding out that they were being used for a cause they knew nothing about.

"I know your heart is in the right place, and I accept that." Sakura replied, "But I won't go along with your line of thinking because I don't believe you can change the world like that."

Oh. They weren't expecting to hear that from her.

"You're using fear tactics. If you think that scaring people into peace with the tailed beasts is going to magically change human nature, then you're not going to succeed. People are going to fight and die for what they believe is right- and that right thing might as well be the opposite of what your view is. Who are you to say what is and what isn't true peace? Because you sure as hell aren't God."

Stunned silence.

Sasori gaped and leaned forward even more to the try and catch the conversation louder. Something at the back of his head made him think that they were children eavesdropping on an argument they shouldn't be listening to.

"Will you be at peace with yourself once you realize what you've done?"

No reply. They heard a slight rustling.

"Let's go up on the roof, Nagato-san. There's something I want to show you."

::

Sakura linked her arm with Nagato's and led him out of her office. Kabuto and Konan stayed behind, lingering around as they watched the two disappear towards the staircase. The sun was down to its lowest point, casting a citrus colored sky. The roof was clear of any presence and a bench sat on the edge, giving way to an amazing view of Otogakure. As she lowered him into a seat, Nagato gave her a blank look.

"You've made it quite clear that our stances conflict with each other and you want nothing to do with our cause." he said, "What have you brought me up here for? To convince me otherwise?"

She walked up to the railing and grabbed onto the metal bars.

"I'll try. But first, I'd like to tell a story of my own. It's only fair since you've shared such a person experience with me, right?"

He peered at her back through thick locks of hair.

"There was a genin team way back then. Their sensei was lazy and cryptic, never giving a straight answer and being infuriating in his own right. But it wasn't like the genin could complain about it. Once was a hopeless idiot with a voice obnoxiously loud, another was too wrapped up in a dream poisonous and consuming that he cared for nothing else, and the last focused on boys and book smarts, proving to be a useless teammate. Together they were Team Seven- brave enough to claim that they knew everything about the world, but stupid enough to not realize that they didn't."

Sakura's shoulders dropped.

"They all had dreams once. The sensei wanted to look towards the future, but he wouldn't stop clinging to the past. The idiot wanted to be Hokage, but the world looked down on him. The one poisoned by his thinking desired to rebuild his clan, but his hatred took over his heart. And that useless teammate... well, she didn't know what she wanted. She stood there and watched. Why was everyone so happy while the ones she cared about couldn't escape their own misery? She didn't know. But all she wanted was the pain to go away and keep carefree smiles on their faces."

Nagato carefully surveyed her form.

"Did she succeed?" he asked. Sakura sighed.

"No. Not even close. They were too dysfunctional of a team for something like that to work. But do you know what made them Team Seven, even with every single thing wrong with them?"

She spun around on her heel, gazing at him with a gleam in her eyes. Nagato shook his head.

"Balance." she grinned, holding both her hands out, "The quiet and the loud. The love and the hate. The happiness and the pain. The dream and the reality. _The peace and the discord._ You can't have one without the other. Too much or too little will throw off the balance, like the workings of a simple scale."

Sakura looked up at the stars that started to come out overhead. She remembered looking up at the night sky back in Konoha, but she didn't think it looked as beautiful as it did at this moment.

"To me, it seems like you think the world is this endless chain of hatred with it having no hope of redeeming itself. You see the village down there?" she questioned, pointing down to the crowds of people and the brightly colored streets decorated for the coming of the new year, "It looks pretty peaceful to me. Sure you've got the fights every now and then and there'll be those days when it's just been shitty, but everything's calm right now. It's quiet and I think it's safe to say that a lot of those people are happy enough to give a real smile. It isn't true peace, but it's enough. It has to be."

Nagato gazed out over the village for a few moments before pushing himself up onto shaky legs and walked up to the railing. Sakura made a move to stand.

"Naga-"

"How is it enough? How could this temporary peace be enough? We all deserve to be happy and I vowed that I'd do whatever it takes to get it there. What reason could there possibly be to protect this unjust world?"

She paused before sitting back down in her seat. Staring down at her feet, she let a small smile crawl onto her face.

"Because we're only human. And to be honest, that's the best we'll ever be."

::

The Otokage's office was filled with bodies, all of them crowding by the windows and listening to the two leaders overhead. No one moved nor said a word, Sakura's story coursing through them steadily and opening their eyes to the person she really was. Konan was standing the farthest from the window, eyes shining with hope that the others couldn't see. She remembered the time she introduced herself to Sakura and asked for a favor far too large for a first meeting.

 _"Goddammit." he groaned, "Someone's going to die. Or an entire economy's gonna collapse. Better yet, the whole world's gonna fucking implode!"_

 _Last time she consecutively lost a card game or another sort of gambling game, five teams of Otogakure chuunin were attacked and sent to the ICU. Another time, a virus spread and affected a third of the village. If Sakura had gotten just plain terrible cards every single round, something very bad was going to happen very soon._

 _All in Kisame's constant moaning about an inevitable disaster, she noticed a sheet of origami paper flutter outside her window._

 _Sakura stood and quietly slipped out of the room while Kabuto tried to get Kisame to quit whining and return to their duties. She walked up the spiral staircase to the roof of the building. At her arrival, she saw a beautiful, blue haired woman standing off to the side clad in an Akatsuki cloak. Sakura smiled and went towards her._

 _"You must be Konan-san. It's nice to finally meet you." she greeted with an extended hand and a slight bow, "I'm Haruno Sakura."_

 _Konan returned the smile with a nod and firm handshake. Her eyes gave the young woman a once over before fully meeting a bright green gaze. She opened her mouth to comment about the village, maybe even something about her leadership style. But something completely different spilled out._

 _"Help him."_

 _Sakura looked up, startled, hand still in Konan's strong grip._

 _"I'm sorry?"_

 _"You have to help him. Pein- help him. Please."_

It was a long shot, but she was the best bet Konan had. Though with everything she heard and how moved she was by Sakura's words, she desperately hoped that she would be able to change Nagato's mind.

She succeeded with everyone standing in the room. If only he could become one of them.

::

Nagato stood there for a long time, not saying a single word and supporting himself up on the railing. Time passed by rather quickly, the residents of the village already beginning to set up fireworks to light when the clock finally struck twelve. It was going to be a new year, preferably a prosperous one. He could hear the people's laughter and the cheerful murmurs of all of them gathering around the shrines to pay respects and waiting to watch the skies light up.

Before they knew it, there came the people's collecting chanting.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

Nagato straightened himself.

"Six! Five! Four!"

He turned to face Sakura.

"Three! Two! One!"

Fireworks shot up into the air, purples, reds, and golds exploding in the night.

"Happy New Year!"

But the people's shouts fell to deaf ears with what he did next. The world stood still when Nagato- the man who called himself God- bowed his head for another. Sakura froze.

"Nagato-san...?"

"I'm trusting you, Sakura-san. I'm trusting that what you've said was right, I'm trusting that you prove to me that the world can continue down this path." he said. He raised his ringed eye, "And I'm trusting you to be the Kage that my members believe you to be. You've already become better than I... perhaps so much that Yahiko would approve."

She jumped to her feet.

"So that would mean...?"

"Yes."

She rushed forward to grab his upper body to keep him from falling.

"We will cease to seek out the tailed beasts and return the ones we've taken."

::

Back down in the office, it didn't matter who it was, their eyes widened and they couldn't believe a single thing they heard. How insane that was for someone to stand up to their leader and actually be able to change his mind. Kabuto pushed up his glasses and looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the relief on Konan's face as she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

Huh.

Perhaps he should lighten Sakura's workload tomorrow.


	20. Rokudaime

It's been one year since Naruto started his special training.

Four years since Kakashi took office as Rokudaime Hokage.

Eight years since Sakura disappeared without a word.

Kakashi spun his chair around and looked out the window of his office as he rubbed his masked face. How he stepped up to the position of Hokage was beyond him, but he'd being doing it without fail for the past four years. Tsunade had declared one day that she'd be stepping down and selecting a jounin or ANBU to take her place. Unsurprisingly enough, she first sought out Naruto and asked him if he would take it.

He refused, saying that hadn't matured enough.

Everyone who was there to witness was astonished at how much Naruto changed in those short couple of years, but it was common knowledge that Sakura's death was a major contributor to him finally growing up. He was still cheerful and short-tempered as ever, but now he knew when to keep quiet or refrain from voicing his own, very loud opinion. He listened more, thank god, and decided to make more rational decisions.

Then there was Sai. He finally learned about the wide spectrum of emotions some years back and was a fully functioning human being with quite a great sense of humor. He still had the nerve to use those insulting nicknames, but they were all in good faith. Still, he referenced to Sakura as "Ugly" for old time's sake whenever she was brought up in a conversation.

Sasuke was also doing rather well himself. He was slowly learning to forget about Itachi with the help of Naruto and Sai, but still felt some guilt at being a key cause in Sakura's death. Though all evidence pointed to her being killed by an Akatsuki, he still couldn't help but feel that he had some part in it.

He sighed. The tiniest part of him still couldn't believe that his student had died at such an early age with them left in the dark with her true intention of leaving. There was still debate over if were her or Deidara who killed Asuma eight years ago, but the case ran cold with no clear declaration of the assailant.

Speaking of the Akatsuki...

Kakashi swiveled his chair back around and gazed at the world map spread out on his desk, focusing particularly on Ta no Kuni. It expanded about four times its original size many years ago, but no one paid very close attention to it. The country was very mysterious in itself with no rumors surrounding it other than it was built up to a strong shinobi nation that could even rival the Great Five. No one outside the population knew who the leader was, an Otogakure's outside clients never dared to reveal what the knew because of the leader's request to remain anonymous.

Konoha tried their hand at trying to unravel the secret, but none of their spies, not even Jiraiya and his frogs, could infiltrate the village or live to tell the tale. But there was one kunoichi who was a mere kilometer away from Otogakure before she was confronted by none other _Hoshigaki Kisame_ with a sharp grin and a burnished Sound hitai-ate. The kunoichi who recounted her tale could recall the exact thing he said to her before forcing her retreat.

 _"Y'know, it's getting kinda annoying- all these spies comin' around and causing shit. Haven't you guys learned your lesson already? If Jiraiya-sama can fail, so can you. Get the hell out of here before I cut you to ribbons!"_

His appearance could mean one of two things. One, he defected from the Akatsuki and joined up with another village by some odd miracle. Highly unlikely. Two, all active members had relocated to that village and began working under another leader. Quite possibly, considering that if they were spotted, it would be in that area. Kakashi didn't know why and how they'd do something like this, but they had been absolutely silent for the past six years and he wasn't complaining.

They had even returned the tailed beasts they'd taken, or someone stole them and was kind enough to give them back to their respective villages, before falling off the radar completely. Did something happen? Were their objectives changed? He didn't know.

But he left them and the village alone for the time being. Otogakure and its shinobi caused no trouble whatsoever and didn't do anything to any country that would call for action. Because of this, Tsunade and later himself didn't dawdle too much on it. But years had passed...

... Maybe it was finally time to start piecing together the puzzle.

::

"I don't know why you're still mad. We've been the same height for a long time."

Deidara pressed his lips together and crossed his arms.

"Now you're taller because you're wearing goddamn heels, un. Being taller than Danna is one thing. Well, one normal thing because everyone's taller than that ass-"

" _Excuse me_?"

"-but now I just think you're doing this to mock me, hm."

Sakura laughed as Sasori elbowed him in the solar plexus. Not really concerned that Deidara had turned into a coughing, cussing mess. She walked over to her file cabinet and stashed away their mission report.

"C'mon, you two. Are you really going to stand in my office and argue, or are you going to train your teams like the good sensei you should be?"

Saying that didn't really help, but changed the tide of the argument completely. Luckily, it got them our of the building to fulfill their duties. Sakura sat in her chair just in time for another pair to stumble into her office engaged in a heated discussion.

"I don't care if Misaki's pregnant!" Kabuto seethed, "She deserved to get cheated on!"

"What, because she's a bitch who doesn't know how to close her legs? At least its his fucking baby and she didn't lie about it like Ayako did!" Kisame hissed. Sakura opened a folder on her desk and took a sip of her water.

"Last night's episode of Kunoichi Diaries?"

Kabuto scowled.

"Yes and _he's_ in denial over-"

"Denial? DENIAL?! Tell that denial to Shin's broken heart, homewrecker!"

She smiled as she flipped through the documents in the folder.

It was unimaginable at how her life turned into something she never fathomed it turning into. The Akatsuki, the village, being a Kage... Who would've thought that this would've become of her? She had faithful shinobi- strong ones- at her back and people who understood her situation and didn't breathe a word of her identity. With what she had so far, she could proudly say that she wouldn't change a single thing.

 _Tap. Tap._

Sakura opened her window.

"Good morning, Itachi-san!" she grinned, "What can I do for you?"

Itachi looked at the commotion before slipping into the room and handing her an envelope.

"Sakura-sama. A hawk was sent to the aviary tower earlier. We've run all the tests and everything's cleared." he said. As she took it, she saw the silver Konohagakure symbol emblazoned on the back.

... Ah.

Itachi eyed the blank face when she read through the letter.

 _Leader of Otogakure:_

 _Greetings from the Konohagakure. It's come to my attention that your village, country even, has flourished over the past eight years. Yet after all this time, I find the lack of communication and understanding between the two villages unsettling. I propose that we try to better relations._

 _I've heard of how grand the medical and genjutsu reputation is in Otogakure. There's a new program- a medical exchange system. For two weeks, we swap hospital specialists to learn new processes and methods._

 _I'd be more than happy to meet and discuss terms if you agree._

 _Yours Truly,_

 _Hatake Kakashi_

 _Rokudaime Hokage_

"... Thank you, Itachi-san. You can send the hawk back because I'll have someone go to Konoha for me." she said. Itachi nodded and slipped back out the window and returned to the intelligence sector. Kisame and Kabuto had quit their arguing and were now waiting patiently for Sakura's orders.

"Kisame, get Marisu-san for me please."

He bobbed his head.

"Ma'am."

After his departure, she read over the letter one more time before looking over at her assistant.

"I'll be sending you to talk about this. Once we sort everything out with Marisu-san today, you'll head out tomorrow. I'll send someone along with you... hm... I don't know who yet, but they'll meet you at the gates at 0700 hours." Sakura informed.

"Yes ma'am."

::

 _"You can refuse this mission and I can have Kakuzu-san take your place."_

 _"No, I'll... I'll do it. I think it's finally time I explain myself to him. He deserves that much."_

 _Sakura peered at him for a few seconds before relenting._

 _"I understand. But do keep in mind that I'm not requiring you to keep your real self a secret. If you want to reveal your true name and bloodline, I will fully support you."_

 _Tobi smiled._

 _"Thank you, Sakura-sama."_

The gates still looked the same from when he was a boy. They were brown with that same chipped red paint in the center of the wood. The trees were towering and bright green, like they were from his memories. Tobi sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets and trailed a bit behind Kabuto. At their arrival, the guards- Akimichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba- immediately sprung from their seats and poised themselves for battle.

"My, what a unique welcome." Kabuto mused. Akamaru growled.

"What are you doing here?" Kiba sneered, "And make it quick before we arrest you into interrogation."

"How rude." he replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, showing the two the Hokage's seal, "When we were invited by Hatake-sama too."

::

This wasn't what he was expecting. At all. And it wasn't a pleasant surprise either.

Kabuto and an eerily familiar man stood in his office, their presence keeping a tense air in the room. Kurenai, his assistant, went rigid at her Hokage's side. The both of them were clearly dangerous, Kabuto especially.

"We're here on behalf of the Otokage." Kabuto said, unlatching scrolls from his belt and placing them on the desk, "They apologize for not coming themselves."

Kakashi reached for them.

"And they are...?"

"Undisclosed. For now." he smiled, "But that isn't what we agreed to discuss. This is about the medical exchange program. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Ah, of course, of course. My mistake."

Kakashi spread the scrolls in front of him and ran down the list of the names provided for the exchange. He paused at the names Hidan and Uchiha Itachi that appeared in the middle of the ones he didn't recognize. He kept his mouth shut and approved the people for the program.

As Kakashi and Kabuto conferred on the conditions, Tobi noticed the eye that would flicker in his direction more times than he found comfortable. He kept his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes glued to a spot on one of the walls. Tobi didn't think it would be this hard to look at an old friend after being "dead" for so long.

"Kurenai-san, could you take Yakushi-san and his associate to see Tsunade-sama? I'm sure she'd want the full explanation from Otogakure's representatives." Kakashi chirped after an hour of organizing the program, "And... maybe control her temper if things escalate that far."

"Yes, sir." she complied, glancing at Kabuto with bright red eyes, "Follow me."

Tobi went to trail after them, but stopped halfway out the door.

"Um... Kabuto-san? I'll catch up with you in a minute. There's something I have to... you know..."

Kabuto waved him off with a small smile.

"I know. Take your time." he said. Kurenai cast him a curious stare before continuing down the hall. Tobi back-tracked into the office and closed the door in front of him.

"... Is there something you need from me?"

Tobi flinched and turned around.

"I kind of noticed that you were looking at me during the meeting and I was wondering why."

A lie. Mostly. But he had to break the ice somehow. Kakashi gave a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry. It's just that you remind me of someone I know way back then. Maa, what am I talking about? I'm making myself sound like an old man." he sighed. Tobi bit his lip and lowered his head. There was an image in his mind of a young jounin with an ever-present scowl behind his mask and hard eyes that would glare at him for being late. That person never once smiled or let himself act so carelessly in front of others.

"You've changed." he whispered. Kakashi cocked his head to the side.

"I'm sorry?"

Tobi pulled the eye patch off his face.

"I said you've changed, Bakakashi."

::

Tsunade glowered darkly at the man stood before her, discontent flaring from every inch of her being. It didn't help that he was also regarding her with an open smile.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Yakushi."

Kabuto reduced the urge to laugh and handed over the names of the people who'd be working in her hospital near the end of the month. She looked too angry to be digesting the information, something he found to be very pleasing. Honey brown eyes raised up to meet his gaze.

"Orochimaru's dead. I can't imagine you operating under someone else." she said, "What can you say about someone who's able to put the names of not one, but _two_ Akatsuki members on this list?"

His smile widened.

"Nothing. I'm not allowed to breathe a word about them. Even if I did, I wouldn't. Not to you, anyways."

Tsunade grit her teeth. Kabuto then pushed forward to explain the future happenings of the program before smiling that smile she was starting to hate and being escorted out of the building. After his departure, the previous Hokage let the anger settle in her features.

"I don't like it." she hissed.

"What are we going to do about Naruto?" Shizune asked worriedly, "Are they still after him? Should he be put into hiding during the duration of their stay?"

Even if the Akatsuki had been absolutely silent for the past six years, Konoha still wasn't sure of their intentions. But, Otogakure had a formidable medical community. If Hidan and Uchiha Itachi had been practically removed from active duty and had been placed into such a line of work- _both in pediatrics_ \- then there was something they were missing.

"Organizations like the Akatsuki don't just go down without a word, much less integrating into a village that pops out of nowhere. Something must've happened that no one knows about."

She looked to the side.

"They wouldn't just kill Sakura and leave it at that. There's an ulterior motive somewhere... I just don't know what it is."

::

"Only if you're positive that you can take the consequences." Kakuzu warned, "Doing this will no doubt life the cloud of secrecy over Oto, but it will make the other nations more aware of us. You, more specifically."

"That's true, but we can work freely if this is no longer an issue. Six years is a long time, and Otogakure deserves to grow to its fullest potential. If that means I'll have to sacrifice this much, then it's well worth it." Sakura replied. She beckoned Kisame forward and gave him a mischievous look.

"Do you think I can indulge in your incomparable gossiping skills?"

He grinned.

"Any day. Whatcha' got?"

"I need you to spread rumors."

Unconsciously, her mind drifted to the old team photo she kept in her drawer. It was untouched for a long time. Not that she forgot about it, but that it still hurt to see the faces of the people she knew she let down. Inner wasn't here to make matters worse, but it didn't matter. She had to make it right one way or another for her, them, and the village.

"Rumors that suggest I'm still alive."


	21. The Exchange Program

Kakashi stared, startled at the ghost before him and the orange eye patch crumpled on the floor. The feeling in the pit of his stomach was completely awful, making him want to curl in on himself and slash down all his rising hopes. No, this couldn't be him. This person had half his body covered in scars and a hazel eye in place of where _h_ e tore his out

"Ob-"

 _'Stop it, it's not him.'_

Suddenly, he chuckled and forced a smile and his trademarked eye crinkle.

"I think you've got the wrong guy. You can't possibly be..."

He trailed off when the man's black eye swirled into a bloody red, three tomoe steadily spinning.

"It's me, Kakashi. Uchiha Obito." he said, "I didn't die under that boulder. For years, I spent recuperating and getting back to the way I was before the accident. But by the time I got better, it was too late. Too much time had passed and I just couldn't come back anymore!"

Tobi couldn't muster up the will to continue at the obvious hurt bubbling up on Kakashi's eye. He picked up his eye patch and placed it in his pocket. Kakashi looked away.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi."

When no more words were spoken, Tobi exhaled softly and left the office, closing the door with a soft click. He walked down the hallway on the vaguely familiar path to the hospital. He met Kabuto outside the doors, Kurenai standing a little ways off, minding her own business but no doubt listening intently.

"How did it go?"

"Not well." Tobi sighed, "He didn't believe me at first, but after explaining myself he couldn't look at me. But I expected something like this."

Kabuto pushed up his glasses.

"There's a good chance he'll warm up to you eventually, so don't worry too much about it. Let's go, Tobi-san. There are still a few more things to go over."

::

"What... the hell... are you doing here, you _bastard_?"

Hidan turned around and bit into the steamed bun in his hand. Naruto stood there with clenched fists, bared teeth, and an impressive containment of his anger. He took another bit of his snack and his observed the jinchuuriki. It was his second day here and he was wondering when he'd come across the fox kid.

"Yo."

"I asked you a question."

He mused at how he held himself. Before, he recalled that Naruto would let his rage get the best of him and that he would act on impulse nearly all the time. Now he saw the control the younger man was displaying to be very impressive.

"I guess you did." Hidan grinned, "Well I'm out here on a food run for pretty boy and I. Hospital work's tedious. Even we need to eat, y'know."

Naruto furrowed his brow.

"The hospital? What are you talking about?" he asked. Hidan jerked his thumb to the hitai-ate around his neck and took a third bite of his bun.

"Ask about the Exchange Program because I sure as hell ain't taking the time to explain this long-ass deal to you. That and Itachi's gonna get pissed if I come back with cold dango..."

He began his trek back to the hospital, grumbling under his breath.

"... goddamn sure that fucker cheated during janken but _nooo_ , we couldn't have any fucking do-over's..."

"Wait a minute!"

Hidan looked over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Itachi." Naruto mentioned, "Did you just say the name Itachi?"

The ex-Akatsuki grinned, raising the hairs at the back of his neck.

"Probably."

He continued walking and raised a hand to salute. Naruto wasted no time in bolting to Kakashi's office, Sasuke's upcoming predicament and the Akatsuki invaded his mind.

::

Otogakure was nothing she was expecting. Shizune headed the Konoha medical unit transferred here for the program, and on a sidebar, to document the things they've seen. Something at the back of her mind told her that this place would be filled with experiments and unheard of kekkei genkai, probably because Orochimaru was known to have a hand in a great deal of the country's inner workings. After his death, she expected this new leader to carry on his stead, furthering the terrifying progress he made.

But that wasn't the case.

In all actuality, Otogakure was flourishing greatly for a new village in the upper ranks. The general population looked happy, there were copious amounts of shinobi, and the medical district appeared to be well developed and functioning smoothly.

"Shizune-sensei, look at that clinic!" a brand new PA, Yashiro Umeko, pointed out, "I don't think we have a branch like that in Konoha."

Juinjutsu and Experimentation

In small print at the bottom was their goal.

Dedicated to erasing Orochimaru's work

Shizune pressed her lips together. That ruled out the idea that whoever held the power was previously a loyal follower. At the entrance of the hospital stood who she assumed was the Chief of Medicine- a straight backed woman of average height and golden eyes that could pierce through stone. That woman regarded the incoming group with a few moments of a calculating gaze.

"Good morning. I am Rinha Marisu, the one who's to be your overseer for the duration of your stay. Who is the captain of this unit?"

Shizune stepped forward.

"My name is Shizune. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Rinha-san." she greeted. She held out her hand and was met with a firm grip.

"Likewise. Now," Marisu turned to the rest of the Konoha Exchange participants, an authoritative and mature air surrounding her, "Follow me. I have your assignments inside."

::

Three days in and she had to say, the hospital was run the same way Tsunade would have had it. Rules of conduct and protocol were similar to that of Konoha General Hospital. More detail was placed into the development of the system and the instruments though...

Their design was unusual. It was something Shizune had never seen before that probably contributed to the unique and widely known standing of Otogakure's medical community. She walked on the pediatric floor, taking in the sight of all the genin in the sector.

Ah, right. Today was the start of the village-wide genin check ups. Next week were the chuunin, then the jounin, then finally the ANBU. It was a smart idea to implement these mandatory yearly hospital appointments, as it decreased the chances of unknowingly sustaining a physical or mental issue, and assured that active shinobi were as healthy as possible. When Shizune asked where the idea had come from, one of the doctors on the floor was happy to answer.

"Ha- Otokage-sama came up with it." he smiled. She noticed the blunder, "They thought it would be safer if we did these routinely. It's been working well for us so far."

Shizune nodded before turning around. What was he going to say? Rather, whose name? She watched as the genin went through their rounds. Her attention moved to a rowdy bunch emerging from one of the examining rooms.

"Ha! I told you I was taller than you, Shinji!"

"It's like, like two cm! That doesn't mean nothing, Nobu!"

"It means that I won't the bet and you gotta buy us lunch!"

"Ugh, you guys are so annoying. Can we go now? I'm pretty sure Deidara-sensei's not gonna be happy if we show up late again. Remember what he did last time? He blew up the entire training ground. The entire. Thing." their kunoichi teammate scowled. Shizune's blood froze at the mention of the name, her eyes trailing after them until they disappeared through the doorway. Her eyes darted from side to side as her thoughts ran back and forth through her head.

Deidara... Deidara... Deidara...

Deidara of the Akatsuki, a sensei in Otogakure? No, that couldn't be possible. Tsunade said that there was something wrong with this whole situation, even Kakashi saying that their members probably began working under the Otokage. The idea sounded insane but now everything had been proven. Confirmed for two members: Hoshigaki Kisame and Deid-

"Is it true? Are you disease infested like I thought?"

... That sounded like...

"Wha- Of course not! I'm fine! At least I didn't get termites once after falling down a hill!"

She slowly turned her head to the side to see a short man walking leisurely towards an all-kunoichi team. His face was contorted in a deep set scowl as he glared at them.

"Who told you that? Deidara? I'm going to take his clay and shove it up-"

" _Sensei_!"

"What?"

He raised his brown eyes to meet Shizune's horrified gaze and flashed his best smile. He, Akasuna no Sasori, with that grin? It couldn't be good.

::

Umeko scratched the back of her head as she glanced down at the paper in her hand and back up to her surroundings. She was sent off to pick up some papers from a doctor somewhere in the district, but she just couldn't seem to find it.

"Are you looking for him? Because his clinic's the other way from where you're walking."

She jumped and spun around, facing a woman with a kind face she'd never seen before. Her bright green eyes shined.

"R-Really? Where is it, then?" Umeko questioned. The woman pointed down the road.

"See that dark gray building there? Once you're past it, take a left into the alley and go into the first maroon door you come across. Give the receptionist that note and he should take you straight to the doctor."

Umeko tucked her long purple hair behind her ear and glanced down at the paper one last time before looking back up at the stranger.

"Thank you so much Miss... um... what's your name?"

The woman held a finger up to her lips.

"Let's just keep this a secret, shall we? Maybe I'll see you around, maybe I won't, Yashiro Umeko-san."

Umeko frowned looked back at the building before digesting those words and whipping around to face that stranger.

"How did you know my-?"

She shut her mouth and furrowed her brow as she looked from left to right. That woman had disappeared, nowhere to be seen. Umeko slowly continued down the road, mind filled with the person who just helped her. Pink hair and green eyes? Who was that?

::

"Is it possible for me to see the Otokage?"

Kotohime crossed her arms and regarded the older woman with her pitch black eyes. She's heard of Shizune before- the assistant to the one and only Tsunade: their leader's old mentor. Shizune's appearance was hitting too close to home for the Otokage, and that meant keeping her identity on lock down as tightly as possible. Until Sakura-sama decided to act on it.

"They're not taking any visitors right now. And even if they were-"

"They're not here to take them."

Both women turned their heads to see Kakuzu walking towards them. He nodded towards Kotohime, to which she returned and gave a slight bow before leaving her post. Shizune went rigid at the sight of him and flexed her fingers over the senbon hidden in her clothes.

"So where is your Otokage?" she asked calmly, "Taking a break? Perhaps I could wait until their return."

"Not possible. Our Otokage is heavily involved with many of the communities in the village. A kind hearted soul, if you will."

His eyes slid towards her.

"Especially within the medical community. They often have a heavy hand there. They love to heal and love to help. Though I do advise them not to overdo things, they fail to keep their health in mind sometimes. It honestly wouldn't help for them to think of themselves every now and then."

Shizune unwittingly smiled and turned her head to the side.

"That sounds a little like…"

' _Like Sakura.'_

She stuffed her words back through her throat and looked back to Kakuzu with blank eyes. He resisted the urge to crack a mocking smile.

"Like who, Shizune-san?" he mused. She shook her head.

"Nothing. So is there really no way I could meet with them?"

Kakuzu shook his head.

"No." he said, "And it would prove best if you leave this matter alone. There isn't anything you can do to request an audience nor be approved for one. If you do decide to take this into your own hands, I cannot promise your diplomatic immunity. Are we clear?"

Shizune exhaled sharply.

"Yes. We are."

:: Two Days Earlier ::

"Have you seen the idiot around lately?"

"Can't say that I have." Shikamaru yawned as he walked beside Sasuke in the early morning light, "But I did see him run past me towards the tower yesterday. Must have been something troublesome."

Sasuke 'hmmed' to himself with his hands in his pocket. This was how their mornings usually went. They'd cross paths around the same time each morning, some of the time with Naruto and Chouji, before going to their respective work places or training grounds. The routine hadn't change for the past three years save for the occasional mission. Shikamaru lazily turned his head to the left, watching the clouds overhead before trailing down to the park and the almost empty benches...

"Sasuke, don't get upset."

"What?"

"I want to keep calm no matter what. Keep your sharingan away, no attacking, and for god's sake, don't rush ahead and don't do anything stupid."

He followed his friend's gaze, eyes landing on two figures sitting down with tea and bento boxes. Sasuke's heart beat flared up as he grit his teeth. He stalked over, Shikamaru sighing heavily and slumping his shoulders before trailing after, and stopped a foot away from them.

"... What are you doing here?"

Itachi raised his eyes.

"Hello, otouto."

"Don't call me that!" Sasuke snarled. Hidan grinned, popping a piece of fish in his mouth and setting his elbows on the table. Itachi relented.

"Alright, Sasuke-kun." he said. His younger brother twitched, "What is it that we can do for you?"

Shikamaru set his hand on his friend's shoulder and stepped up beside him.

"I find it hard to believe that you'd be allowed back in this village as you're both Akatsuki members and clear enemies of Konoha. _Especially_ since you're the ones that killed Haruno Sakura." he scowled. Hidan set his chopsticks down and crossed his arms, peering confusedly at the man across from him.

"We killed her?"

Itachi nodded.

"Aa. Zetsu did."

"Well fuck. I expect nothing else from that asshole." he sighed. He then looked up at the two Konoha shinobi, "So I mean, sorry, I guess? I'm surprised you actually care."

A mischievous glint lit up in his eyes.

"She killed that Asuma guy, didn't she?"

"Hidan..." Itachi warned. He raised up his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, chill. I'll stop."

Shikamaru looked down, the gears in his mind turning. It was either Deidara or Sakura, no doubt about it. With the Akatsuki sounding so sure of Sakura's involvement they had their cold case cracked with the outcome they never wanted to be true. But... there has to be some lie. Theses were Akatsuki members for crying out loud! What were the chances that they'd be actually be telling the truth?

"What proof-"

"Uchiha-sensei! Hidan-sensei! We've been looking all over for you!"

A young medic in a white coat jogged towards them. She quickly excused her intrusion to Shikamaru and Sasuke before handing a white bundle to both Hidan and Itachi. Doctor's coats. With their ID's hanging from the pockets.

"Uchiha-sensei, you've got three cases lined up for you and, uh, here are their records." she said as she handed him three manila folders, "And there's a surgery waiting for you, Hidan-sensei. They're getting prepped right now. Should we go?"

They slid on their apparel, Hidan throwing one last look at the shell-shocked Shikamaru and Sasuke. He fell into step with Itachi.

"Later."


	22. Rumor Mill

Naruto ran down Konoha's streets with the image of Hidan ringing in his head. The Akatsuki had been quiet for such a long time and the world was fine with them finally disappearing off the face of the earth. Why here? Why now? And why the hell did they come as Oto shinobi? He barged into the Hokage's office to see Kakashi twirling a pen in his hand and staring at something on his desk.

"Naruto! You should've knocked!" Kurenai chastised, "What if Hokage-sama had been in a meeting?"

"S-Sorry, Kurenai-sensei." he apologized, "I was in a hurry, so..."

Kakashi set down his pen and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Maa, it's fine. Don't worry too much over it, just be more careful next time. What do you need, Naruto?" he asked. The jounin pursed his lips.

"I just saw Hidan, the Akatsuki Hidan, just goin' around the village like he belonged there! And he told me that he was doin' some work at the hospital for some 'exchange program' with Otogakure. What the hell was he talking about?"

Kakashi and Kurenai shared glances.

"I was going to make an announcement soon, but..."

"But what?!"

The were interrupted by a series of knocks at the door. Kakashi allowed them in, Naruto's eyes growing wide at the sight of Kabuto. The aforementioned gave a friendly smile before turning his head and mouthing a few things to his associate. The Hokage cleared his throat.

"These are Otogakure's diplomats, Yakushi Kabuto and Uc-um..."

Tobi stepped forward with a lopsided grin.

"I'm Tobi. Just Tobi."

Kurenai's eyebrows knit together as she watched Kakashi drop his gaze and tap his fingers on his knee. She recognized it as one of his nervous tics, but she couldn't understand why Tobi was making him so uncomfortable. Suddenly, he forced a jovial smile onto his face even as his tapping sped up.

"Diplo...? What?!" Naruto cried. He pointed an accusing finger at Kabuto, "Don't you remember the things he did to Konoha? To Sasuke? Hell, it's because of him that the snake bastard-"

"On the contrary, I had nothing to do with Orochimaru entering the village. I was merely a spy for him. You can't exactly blame me of such things, considering the countless amount of such spies that have been sent to Otogakure in the past. A mission is a mission, is it not?"

Naruto glared at him, but said nothing.

"Besides, I only follow orders. If you have a problem with what I've done, you would have to take it up with Orochimaru. Not exactly possible, is it?" he said as he pushed up his glasses. The two stared at each other for a long while before Tobi tapped his arm.

"She's not going to be happy if you decide to start up a fight. Calm down a bit, Kabuto-san." Tobi warned. Kabuto smirked.

"She still finds it funny. It'll be a good story to tell."

The Konoha inhabitants in the room had one, collective thought.

 _'She?'_

Kakashi clapped his hands together.

"Well, Yakushi-san, what is it that you came here for?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. Kabuto handed over a stack of documents he needed signed as well as a note from the Otokage. As he and Tobi left the room, Kakashi sliced open the envelope and read the letter addressed to him. He felt his old student's curious gaze from across his desk.

"Naru-"

"That's Sakura-chan's handwriting." he commented quietly. Kakashi looked up.

"It's just something similar, I'm sure." he assured. Naruto relented and laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"I guess you're right, sensei. I must be seeing things. See you around, then!"

When the door shut, Kakashi turned to his assistant.

"Why don't you take an early out today?"

Kurenai frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Tell Mirai-chan I said hello."

Now all alone, Kakashi wiped the smile off his face and concentrated his attention to the letter in his hands. He folded it and tucked it into his robes as he exited the office and briskly paced to the records room. The guards waved him in and he traveled to the back towards the mission reports of deceased shinobi. He scanned the "H" section and pulled out one of Sakura's. Kakashi took out the letter and compared the writing styles.

...

Ten seconds passed by.

Then thirty.

Then five minutes.

There must be some mistake. Hand writing couldn't be this similar.

::

Kakashi trudged down the nearly empty village streets, his feet carrying him to the only place he could find solace. But there was already someone standing at the memorial stone. He saw an orange cloth hanging out of that someone's pocket. He walked up and stood beside the taller man but kept his gaze on the engraved names.

"Sometimes I imagine what Rin would say if she were still around. I hope that she'd be happy with how Konoha turned out- led by somebody she'd placed her absolute trust in. You're good for this village, Kakashi. I don't think I could have seen it happen any other way."

Tobi turned to the side, eyes shimmering with happiness.

"I asked to see the future through your eyes, and I'm glad this is what you made it out to be."

Mismatched eyes might as well have been the same ones from all those years ago when they were thirteen. He even had that same smile, carefree and open like nothing from their past had ever come to fruition. It was at that moment where Kakashi accepted it. Accepted that Uchiha Obito was really here and really alive.

Even if the feeling wasn't as sweet as he thought it'd be.

Kakashi moved his gaze back to the memorial.

"Are you happy in Otogakure, Obito?" he questioned. Tobi shoved his hands into his pockets as a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

"More than I could ever hope for. Six-ish years ago I became an Academy sensei. The Otokage also transplanted a new eye and healed my scars before that. They... she gave me a second chance. If it weren't for her letting me into the village as I was, I don't know where I'd be right now." he said. He frowned, "I know you're trying really hard to pick apart the village secrets, the first of them being who our leader really is. You'll find out eventually, but..."

The Hokage glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"But?"

"But I know you're not going to like it. Not a single bit."

::

"I heard she was a medic with bright hair. Does someone like that really exist?"

"I don't know, but that description sounds like something I've heard before..."

Ino paused in arranging her flowers and watched her customers leave with wide eyes. Bright haired medic? The only person to come to mind was Sakura. No, it wasn't for sure, of course. Sakura was gone, her body buried deep within the Nara forest. But no matter how much she tried to calm herself, the uneasy feeling constricting her throat.

"K-Kaa-san, I'll be taking my break!"

Ino slipped off her apron and rushed out the shop to take a deep breath.

 _'Take deep breaths. Count to ten. Clear your mind. Think rationally.'_

She went and sat down on the nearest bench she could find. Ino then closed her eyes and tried to get the words out of her head as quickly as possible.

 _'Sakura is gone. It's been six years since her death. Eight years since you've seen her. She deserves her peace.'_

"Ino? Are you okay?"

Hinata came and sat beside the blonde with a worry-filled face.

"You're pale."

Ino shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. It's just..." she bit her lips and started wringing her hands, "Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I heard these two people talking at the shop and there were some things they said and, and I don't know, do you think there's even the slightest chance that Sakura's still alive?"

Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ino..."

"Too crazy, right? Sorry for bringing it up, I just, maybe..."

Her head dropped in her hands, Hinata staying firmly in her spot as she consoled her friend. She acknowledged the fact that Sakura had passed a long time ago. It still hurt every moment she thought about it, but what could she do?

You could never forget someone like Haruno Sakura.

And the dead don't pop out of their graves.

::

"Something about green eyes and an intense stare, right? They said it was so scary that she looked like Tsunade-sama."

Gai stopped right in his tracks. Her frowned, turning his head in the general direction of the chuunin that passed by.

"That's strange..." he muttered. The only person who had even an inkling of similarity to Tsunade was Sakura. As far as he knew, Shizune and Sakura were the only students the Godaime ever had. That, and Sakura was buried six years ago. He saw it with his own eyes.

Besides, even if she were alive, he didn't think it would be the best idea for her to come back. Don't get him wrong, he would love it if she would make her return to boost the youthful spirits of everyone he knew, but there was the fact that she wouldn't be safe. The council would be enraged and immediate action would be taken. Unless Sakura had some immunity to Konoha's policies, she would be executed.

Gai sighed.

"Sakura-san, may your fire burn forever bright!"

::

"She seems really nice. And loves sweets and sake."

Sai looked up from his painting of the landscape, lending an ear to the two genin who passed him by. A singular thought bubbled to the surface of his mind, creasing his face unpleasantly and forcing him to his feet. It wasn't the first time he'd heard something like this, and it was time he would get to the bottom of it.

"Excuse me." he called, "What's that story you're talking about?"

The young girl with long black hair and brown eyes looked up at him in surprise.

"You haven't heard about the Spring Kunoichi, nin-san? Everyone's been talking about it since that survivor came forward."

Sai lifted an eyebrow.

"Survivor?"

The boy perked up.

"Yeah! The survivor of the Jomae Massacre!"

He stalled. Sai couldn't think of a person who survived that incident, like the reports said. It was a horrifying scene, according to investigators, with a broken battlefield, acid and blood covering mutilated earth and several dirt mounds.

"And the survivor said that the Jomae Village brought it on themselves."

Sai's eyes widened.

"How?!"

And so the girl told the story.

 _It was night time. Ten in the evening, just about. I was one of the shinobi sent to hide up in the trees to ambush whoever it was to come and save the children we kidnapped. I didn't agree with what lengths our leader would take for bloody information, but I obeyed like any loyal shinobi would do._

 _Then she came. You could feel the anger radiating off her person. Her emerald eyes were beyond comprehensible rage, mirroring the slug sannin's, as she demanded for the four children, alive and unharmed. Her and our leader conversed a short while before she smiled unforgivably. Suddenly, there came an animal cry that sounded so..._ murderous _... that I'm amazed I didn't lose my hearing. I'm sure that I blacked out for a few moments, and when I came to, the ground forces became unmoving lumps on the ground._

 _We regrouped and watched as she tended to our captives. When she came back, were were two-hundred shinobi strong. Clearly, she was outnumbered and had no hope of emerging victorious. But she stood her ground before charging right for us, bright hair fluttering behind her like a short veil._

 _I didn't know how long it was until reinforcements of her own came. Someone large and someone with red hair. I heard her yell out a name, directing him to take the captives back to Otogakure while her and the other would deal with the rest of us. I thought it a foolish decision, but the children had gotten out safely._

 _I fell to the back of the attackers, avoiding the narrow misses of her raw power. I saw a group break off from the main one to confront the red-haired one. He hadn't amounted to something great and was defeated within a decent amount of time, collapsed on his knees and ready to accept the fate that awaited him._

 _Then something extraordinary happened._

 _She jumped in front of him, taking three blades to the stomach and sparing his life. Pure chakra poured from her body as something akin to tattoos began to cover her whole body. I don't know what she said to him, but she shouted it. Made it that he was sure to carve the words into his head. She lifted him from his decision of giving up and they continued to fight through their sheer will._

 _And they won._

 _I was the only one to come out of Jomae's side alive because of my cowardice. But I'll never forget the day I saw that woman. As she left the battlefield, her red-haired companion on her back, there was a kind smile on her face with an intent to cheer him up._

 _"Now you owe me some mochi and sake." she said. With such power and anger, I never expected the soft heart she showed in the aftermath._

 _Like when she buried every single body._

 _I don't know her name, but I wish I did. Until then, I'll remember her as the Spring Kunoichi. For spring time is a season of great hope and strength, and nothing will compare to what I'd just witnessed._

The boy eyed his friend curiously before smiling up at the artist.

"And that's the story of the Spring Kunoichi!" he chirped, "She sounds pretty cool if you ask me."

"I... see... Thank you..."

Sai walked back to his painting and sat down. He picked up his brush, but couldn't seem to continue his work. The two genin slunk away heading off down the road that led out of the village. Once they were out of sight of the gates, the boy turned to his friend with a confused look.

"I know I left the party early, but damn, did she really do something like that?" he asked, "I mean, did you seriously get your ass handed over to you by Sakura-sama a second time? Shit. I wish I was there to see it."

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Be quiet. We won, didn't we? And I stayed in Otogakure anyways, so unless you want to be berated for your horrendous fashion choice, keep your mouth shut."

"Well sorry I look fucking _fantastic_ in chamois brown!"

::

"You told a story about me? I said gossip, not a fairy tale. Though I do like your ingenuity." Sakura said. Kisame grinned and took his customary seat on the corner of her desk.

"I had to make it kid friendly somehow. But hey, it's all over Konoha like the plague according to Kabuto. Plus, I got Sasori-san to henge into multiple people including snotty twelve year olds. You gotta give my props for that, eh?"

She chuckled.

"I suppose I'll give you that."

He saw her eyes grow remarkably distant as she stared at a random spot on the wall- something she was doing quite recently. Kisame knew this wasn't a good development. He leaned in and nudged her arm.

"Drinks on me?" he asked. Sakura snapped out of her trance.

"Sure!"

"Great!" Kisame exclaimed. He hopped off his spot and tugged Sakura to her feet, "I heard the bar's got some new jello shots that give you a killer hangover and I wanna see them keep their word."

::

"Spring time is a season of great hope and strength."- Lailah Gifty Akita, _Beautiful Quotes_


	23. Six Kage Summit

"You've heard about all those rumors, haven't you?"

"Hm. Everyone knows about it. Even civilians."

Naruto and Sasuke were stood before Sakura's grave, downcast eyes and a swelling hope in their hearts. Years they had to live with the fact that she'd gone off to who knows where to do who knows what only to be killed by an Akatsuki member. At that thought, Sasuke recalled his conversation with Hidan and _that man_. Hidan had no clue that they were the ones who killed Sakura, and didn't even show a hint of surprise when he learned about such a thing.

That wasn't exactly a normal reaction. Like he had something to do with it despite not knowing what happened. Naruto looked at his friend with thinned lips.

"I also heard that you met up with your brother."

Twitch.

"Shikamaru told me about it. You didn't even attack him. Why not? You've always jumped at the chance before, dattebayo." he said. Sasuke crossed his arms as he grit his teeth and let his eyes bleed to red.

"Trust me, I would have. I would have cut him down then and there and fought him until I was forced away. But..."

He exhaled through his nose.

"... It was because of this that Sakura is dead. It's my fault that she's gone and acting upon the reason would make matters worse."

Naruto's face scrunched up in anger.

"What are you saying?" he bit out, "That she did this because of you?! The world doesn't revolve around your giant fucking ego, bastard!"

"If I never left, would this have happened? If I never came to hate Itachi and I never left Konoha for Orochimaru, don't you think that things wouldn't have turned out this way? Sakura never would have had to die and Asuma wouldn't have been killed by h-"

Sasuke shut his mouth, realizing that he said too much. Naruto took a step towards him and grabbed his collar. His eyes were blazing at the accusation. The case had never been formally determined and was left as inconclusive, Deidara and Sakura being the only suspects. It was only natural to lean towards Deidara's direction, but to push the blame on her like that wasn't acceptable. Not in his terms.

"I know Sakura-chan and she sure as hell isn't a criminal! Not even close! I don't know how you think of her, but she would never do something like that. Never!"

"The Akatsuki-"

"Screw the Akatsuki! The hell do you think you're doing, listening to scum like them? You talked to your brother, didn't you? Why would you believe a single thing he says?!" Naruto growled. Sasuke smacked his hand away and fixed his shirt.

"I'm not saying that I believe them. I'm saying that if they fully admitted to having killed Sakura, what reason would they have to lie about Asuma?"

::

Hidan yawned and stretched his arms over his head as he stepped out of the operating room. He'd just completed his third consecutive surgery and he was dying for some lunch. As he slipped off his coat and handed it over the desk, he heard the distinct snap of heels against the tile floor. He turned around to see Tsunade giving him a level stare and crossing her arms over her chest.

Huh. So that's where Sakura got her calves from.

"I observed the last surgery you performed. I hate to admit it, but I'm impressed." she said, "I wasn't aware the Akatsuki was in possession of such high-class medical skills.

He shrugged.

"The Akatsuki doesn't necessarily exist anymore, so they don't have jack shit."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Plus, I only got into this once I was in Oto." he continued, scratching the back of his head, "The Otokage got me to try it. She's kinda... something else, y'know? She gets me interested and next thing you know, I can't find a reason to stop."

Suddenly, his stomach grumbled. Hidan blinked and looked down.

"I was gonna take my break. If there's nothing else, can I go?"

Tsunade was just about to let him leave when an idea surfaced. She gazed at him for a few moments, Hidan staring back at her with uninterested magenta eyes, before she cracked a smirk.

"How well do you do at bars?"

::

"All of them are accepting of this development." Kurenai informed as she read through the letters from the Kazekage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage, "Mei-sama and Kurotsuchi-sama seem ecstatic to finally have a gender balanced summit, and Gaara-sama and A-sama are curious to find out who was able to build a formidable shinobi nation up from dust. With these four approvals, all we need not is the Otokage's agreement, and if they do, their okay for attaining the proper Kage attire. Well the hat, in the very least."

Kakashi nodded, lacing his fingers together and propping his chin on them. Officially bringing in a sixth Kage was a huge deal. The shinobi villages were already buzzing with this new piece of information and possible identities were being thrown around, a common one being Orochimaru despite his deceased status.

There were a few knocks at the door.

"Enter."

Kabuto stepped into the room.

"I have received a response from Otokage-sama." he said, "And she has agreed to attend the Kage Summit."

Kakashi expected a weight to be lifted off his shoulders, but the burden previously sat upon them only seemed to get heavier. Something like a foreboding feeling. He quickly pushed it aside when Kabuto spoke again.

"Also, I'll be returning to Otogakure and will be one of the ones attending the summit alongside the Otokage. Tobi will handle all diplomatic issues from this day forward."

The Hokage bit the inside of his cheek at the mention of that name. Ever since the day at the memorial stone, he hadn't seen or made a move to talk to his old friend another time. Coming to terms with Obito being alive was one thing, but acting like everything was alright wasn't going to work out. Truthfully he was scared to see how much the years had changed them both. He smiled at Kabuto.

"I see. I don't think there's any problem with that."

There was every problem with that.

::

"The Exchange Program got extended an extra two weeks?" Hidan groaned, "Of course it did. But that's fine. Konoha has pretty good pork buns that I can live off of for a while longer."

They were at Yakiniku Q in the far corner booth, beef grilling in front of them as they sipped cups of sake. Hidan noted how sweet it tasted as he glanced at the brands of alcohol they offered at this establishment. Tsunade scoffed.

"Nothing would make me happier to get my staff back, but it's probably because of the upcoming Kage Summit. Less commotion, more things that run smoothly." she said. She took a bite of her BBQ, "Speaking of the Kage Summit, I heard that your leader is officially becoming the sixth Kage. Must be a great honor, hm?"

Hidan leaned back in his seat and drew in a long sip of his drink.

"I guess. I wouldn't know, but I'd have to ask her about it later."

Her fingers twitched.

"Well, what about what you think about this whole matter? I'm sure you have an opinion about it."

"I'm sure I do."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. What was going on? Why wasn't it working? Seeing this, Hidan's eyes flashed mischievously. He set his cup down to lean all the way forward and pitch his voice down to a low whisper.

"What? Upset that your truth serum didn't work?"

She raised her head.

"I've underestimated you."

"Damn straight." he grinned, "I'm not a fucking idiot. Sweetening the sake to cover the bitterness of the serum was a pretty smart idea, but I'd pay more attention to the brand's specific taste. Like this one, for example. The breweries would never sell the sake in this condition. And truth serum has an earthy aftertaste. Not really befitting of alcohol, ne?"

It was hard for her to get pissed as she was incredibly impressed with his skills. Only a seasoned shinobi would have found out about the serum this quickly, and he had an extensive knowledge that she would have never expected. Hidan reached into his pocket and pulled out enough money to cover the whole bill and a decent tip. He stood.

"My break time's up and I think I've got a couple more surgeries lined up for me today. See you back at the hospital or something."

::

"Uchiha-sensei, you have a visitor."

Itachi looked to the door of his temporary office.

"Let them in, please. Thank you."

He wasn't surprised when Naruto stepped into the room wearing a grim line for a mouth and deeply unhappy eyes. He sat down in the chair in front of the desk, his frown sinking even further. Itachi took one long look at him before continuing with his paperwork. He had some idea what he was here to ask, assuming that he had already spoken with Sasuke.

"You know I really hate your guts, Uchiha."

Itachi inclined his head.

"It's not something I haven't heard before."

"No, like I really, _really_ hate you. Killing you would brighten my day, dattebayo. Seriously, I would love to shove my kunai through your heart right now." he said. Itachi closed the file he finished and put it aside as he took a new one.

"I'm quite aware. Naruto-kun, is there a reason to why you've... graced me with this particular visit? If you dislike me to such an extent, I find it odd that you've taken the time out of your day for a conversation with me."

Naruto's head dropped as he glanced around the office. It was a little disturbing to find one of the most powerful shinobi in the world in a room full of stuffed animals and children's posters. A pediatric counselor. Ridiculous.

"You guys killed Sakura-chan, right?" he mumbled.

"If you're referring to Haruno Sakura, then yes. We did."

Naruto flinched.

"Then... you must've known about the entire case about Asuma-sensei. He was left in critical condition after this huge fight and... and there were only two people who could've done it. Sakura-chan or that Deidara. Is it- Do you know who was the one that did it?" he asked. Itachi stopped his work and set interlocked fingers atop his papers. His eyes looked blank and bland, showing that he had nothing to hide nor anything to lie about.

"Deidara was incapacitated at that moment. He was poisoned and was unable to move on his own free will." Itachi answered, "If he was unable to fend for himself, do you believe he had the capacity to fight against Asuma-san?"

The blonde abruptly jumped up from his seat and strode towards the door.

"Naruto-kun."

"What?!"

He spun around, blue eyes smoldering with hurt and unwanted disbelief. Itachi regarded him with an unreadable expression.

"There's always a reason behind every action. Understand the reason, then you will understand the action."

Naruto made a confused face before stepping out and pacing out of the hospital. As he passed the entrance, he spotted Sasuke leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I remember someone telling me _'The hell do you think you are, listening to scum like them?'_ , or something along the lines of that." he commented. Naruto cast his eyes down and kept walking.

"Shut up, teme."

::

Sakura pressed her lips together to keep her laugh from spilling out.

"Go home, Kisame. Seriously. If you stay here any longer I feel like you're going to puke all over the floor. And if was just cleaned yesterday." she stated. Kisame was hunched over on the floor, holding onto the trash can for dear life. His skin had turned an unhealthy pale blue and drops of sweat were falling down his face.

"I... I-I won't... lose..." he murmured before his cheeks puffed up and he hacked his guts out. She cringed, feeling a little bad for laughing at him earlier and still finding the situation pretty funny.

"You can't blame yourself for the oysters. How could you have known they'd gone bad?" Sakura said, "Go home, get some rest, and get better."

He slumped forward dejectedly.

"Fine..."

She chuckled at his plight and rested her cheek in her palm to gaze at the hate on her desk. It was a rhombus shape, a duller purple than her village's hitai-ates, and the kanji for 'sound' poised on the front for everyone too see. Her smile slowly faded as she thought about the turnout of her near future. Surely, nothing in Otogakure would change. The village would probably become more known and acknowledged once she put herself and the ex-Akatsuki members back on the radar.

But... she was knew she'd have to meet with everyone else and had to explain what she'd done to them.

Ino.

Sai.

Kakashi.

 _Kurenai._

 _Naruto._

Sakura leaned back in her chair as she rubbed at her eyes. The Kage Summit was in five days in the politically neutral Iron Country. And in all honesty, she readily admitted that she wasn't even close to being ready to confront the past she abandoned eight years ago.

She couldn't imagine how disappointed they'd be in her.

::

"The Otokage's already here?"

Temari nodded, not being able to meet Shikamaru's gaze.

"Gaara, Kankuro, and I were the first ones to arrive followed by her, Yakushi, and Kakuzu. When we greeted them... even Gaara couldn't help but be shocked." she said, "If I were you, I'd go up and see her now before the Summit tomorrow. I know you're level headed and all, but..."

She sighed and patted his shoulder.

"I can only wish you good luck on this one."

Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder what all this was about. Kakashi and Kurenai had already gone ahead to greet the Kazekage and Otokage personally. He hurried his steps towards the meeting area, snow crunching beneath his feet. If Gaara acted the way he did, then something massive must've come up. Thought, he couldn't think of a single occurrence that would root him to the spot.

When he arrived at the meeting spot, the first thing he saw were Kakashi's and Kurenai's horrified faces. Kakashi's, especially. Even with the mask covering half his face, one could see his dropped jaw. His hands were shaking and his eye couldn't have grown any larger. The two of them were standing outside the conference room looking in through the windows next to the door.

"Hokage-sama? Kurenai-sensei?"

They made no sign of hearing him.

Shikamaru walked up to the windows and peered through one himself. There was Gaara and he was talking to...

To...

T-To...

His breath caught in his throat.

"...Sakura?"


	24. Six Kage Summit: Part Two

There had to be some mistake.

This... This really couldn't be happening right now. She was gone and had been for the longest time. It wasn't possible for someone to be automatically raised from the dead. Maybe there were one or two forbidden jutsu to work for things like this, but that was highly unlikely. Sakura looked real and alive- no genjutsu, no tricks, nothing.

Shikamaru's eyes trailed to her forehead and to the spring green diamond. That was probably a seal that worked just like Tsunade's, furthering the idea that it really was her.

"...What's... going on...?"

::

"I see you've been doing well for yourself." Gaara mused, "You've done a wonderful job with Otogakure."

Sakura beamed.

"Thank you! I tried implementing the system you suggested and it worked out fantastically." she replied. He hummed and quietly observed her for a few moments. He was well-acquainted with her and associated with her on many occasions in the past, him thinking they were at the level of "friends". Even with him not knowing her as well as other might, he could see that she hadn't changed a bit.

Sakura appeared just like the first time they'd met since her "passing"- four years ago at a crossroads near Nadeshiko Village.

 _Gaara assured his older siblings that he could make this journey alone. It was a quick reconnaissance that required his, as the Kazekage's, involvement. Eventually, he got them to ease off and convinced them that it would be quicker as a one-man job. He was walking down a road back to the ports to get back to the mainland when he felt two faint chakra signatures heading his direction._

 _He paused and read the situation before popping the top off his gourd. Gaara waited a few heartbeats before forming his sand into two fists and sending it through the trees._

 _The signatures disappeared. Gaara waited, eyes wandering around him to pinpoint where they'd gone. Suddenly, something swung down from above him. It was large and white that practically broke through his shield._

 _Bandaged sword?_

 _Hoshigaki Kisame._

 _Gaara saw his gilled cheekbones and wide pointed grin, making him grit his teeth. He'd already had enough with the Akatsuki. They ripped out his tailed beast and killed him once already- he wasn't about to let it happen a second time. Kisame swung his sword again and was about to make contact with the Kage's shoulder when a voice rang out over their heads._

 _"Stand down!"_

 _Samehada stopped centimeters away from its target. Kisame sighed and withdrew his weapon as he turned around dejectedly._

 _"But why?! Come on, this'll be my first real fight in_ weeks _and you're not going to let me have it?"_

 _Gaara kept his guard up but couldn't help but feel exceedingly confused at the abrupt ending to the fight. He weighed the option to keep attacking, decided to wait and see who could command Kisame with two short words. He watched as a woman strode out from the shadowed treeline with a chastising look on her face._

 _"He's the Kazekage. I don't know about you, but I'm not looking for a war with one of the Great Shinobi Nations."_

 _His sand faltered. Haruno Sakura turned and offered an apologetic smile, not paying any mind to how Gaara's eyes widened a decent fraction. She was dead. Absolutely, positively dead. He even listened to Naruto talk about it on his first visit to Suna after her funeral. Her face had also been wiped from all bingo books and her name was removed from all possible rosters._

 _When she saw the realization finally sink into his features, she turned to Kisame._

 _"Wait for me at the club in two hours?"_

 _His eyes went to his almost opponent, then back to his leader._

 _"Sure. The usual?"_

 _"Like always." she grinned. As he took off, she spun back around. Gaara's face returned to its normal placid state. He stared her down coolly._

 _"You're truly Sakura-san?"_

 _"Let's go somewhere private and I'll tell you what you want to know." she said, "Luckily for you, I know the perfect place."_

He glanced to the side and saw the three looks of terror through the windows. He tilted his head in their direction.

"We can continue this another time. I can see that you have some things you need to handle on your own." Gaara remarked. Sakura followed his stare and balled one hand into a fist once she made eye-contact with her old sensei. She forced a smile onto her face when she told the Kazekage she'd talk to him later. Then, she walked towards the door and entered the hallway.

She was met with absolute silence.

::

Gaara slipped out of the conference room through another door and quietly made his way down the corridor. Never had he seen Shikamaru's face contorted in such a degree of pain, and he started to think about how rough Sakura's situation truly was. He still didn't know the real reason as to why she chose to leave her village, but he wasn't going to hold it against her. Sakura became a fully-fledged Kage from her own strength. Going as far as she did and accomplishing what she had, she didn't need to justify herself.

She made that point very clear back then.

 _Gaara never really took it upon himself to explore the countries he visited. He believed in the ore 'get in, do your business, get out' approach for his diplomatic journeys, so he never really came to befriend locals or get to know the area. Sakura, as he had been observing, seemed out of place in this port city but still knew her way around. His incredulity of the whole situation heightened when they stopped in front of a hostess club._

 _"Don't look so scared, Gaara-san. The ladies here are very nice." Sakura informed, winking as she lead him inside. Their surroundings immediately darkened with bright yellow lights scarcely placed along the ceiling, bouncing playfully off the carmine-colored walls._

 _"Good afternoon, everyone!" Sakura chirped. Gaara's jaw slackened when all the hostesses twirled towards their direction._

 _"Welcome back, Sakura-sama!" they chorused cheerily. A busty woman in a revealing corset-lingerie ensemble and bunny ears stood at the podium. She grinned._

 _"It's always a pleasure to have you visit us!" she exclaimed, "Kisame-kun isn't with you today?"_

 _"Sorry, Mimi-chan." Sakura apologized, "This is more of a business visit than a casual one, if you know what I mean."_

 _Mimi then noticed the red-haired man subtly shifting his weight from foot to foot as he looked down to his feet. Her grin grew wider._

 _"Ah, I see! I'll show you over to one of our back booths then. If you'll follow me?"_

 _She seated them at the far corner of the establishment, engaging in a small chat with Sakura before excusing herself and returning to the podium. Once she was out of sound's reach, Gaara pinned his entire attention on the person sat before him._

 _"Was it some jutsu?" he asked. Sakura crossed her legs and propped her elbow up on the seat behind her._

 _"Pardon?"_

 _"Was it a jutsu that brought you back to life? Perhaps something similar to what Chiyo-baa-sama had performed on me, or a cruder version of the sort." he suggested. She shook her head, a bitter smile pulling on her lips._

 _"I never died. The corpse was a substitute created by an intricate jutsu involving my blood and a puppet body."_

 _A new hostess came and set down two sake bottles on the low table along with two glass cups, filling each one. She turned to Sakura with a sweet smile and a light blush._

 _"Would you like anything else, Sakura-sama?"_

 _"No, this will be all for now. Thank you, Hotaru-chan."_

 _Sakura leaned forward and took one of the cups. She swirled it around with her eyes still locked on the man slowly piecing the information together. She gestured him to continue asking his questions._

 _"So you left Konoha... for what purpose? What had laid ahead of you that was more important than saying in your home village?"_

 _She sipped her alcohol as her stare slowly wandered towards the ceiling. Gaara waited patiently for her answer. He tensed when two hostesses walked past, glancing over to him then whispering and giggling to themselves._

 _"Let's put it this way."_

 _He moved his gaze to her direction. Sakura set down her cup and gave him a chilling look, one he could most certainly see in the dim lighting._

 _"You're in my position, correct? Just another of those faithful shinobi in one of the Great Nations. Another face in the crowd. So then you're given two choices. One, yo could stay in said village and that's all you could ever achieve. Or two, you could leave that old life. Become a better person. Be part of someplace that needs you."_

 _Gaara narrowed his eyes._

 _"You joined another village?"_

 _She was completely honest with her reply. Short, sweet, and to the point._

 _"I became the leader of one."_

 _The first thing that popped into his head was Otogakure. It was a quickly developing village with its own powerful shinobi and dedicated clientele. Very recently had there been news of someone who stepped up to power in that old, run-down place. With their rise of power came the cloud of mystery that shrouded it. Shinobi of that village rarely came into contact with others, and if they did happen to stumble upon other villages, they wouldn't engage._

 _Then came to the odd ANBU that had only been seen a handful of times spanning from when they were first seen two years ago. They were clothed in dark gray armor with animal masks of equal color. the outfit worn under was stark black, giving them a full appearance of shadows with slits for eyes. They were quiet, seemingly dangerous, and made quite the reputation for themselves on their extraordinary genjutsu ability._

 _And last came the catalyst of it all- the one who reformed Otogakure in the first place. A figure that no one knew of and no native shinobi spoke about had somehow reared an entire population on its head._

 _That person was her?_

 _"I don't have to explain myself, now do I?"_

 _Gaara snapped out of his inner musings and met her stare. Her face was smiling but her eyes were not, holding an icy gleam that dared him to continue down his specific line of questioning. He shook his head._

 _"You don't."_

 _"Good." she said, "Now that we're here, let's make the most of it, eh? This is a hostess club, after all. Do you want me to call some of these lovely ladies for you?"_

 _"NO." he answered in a clipped tone. Sakura stifled her laugh and waved over some of the hostesses not preoccupied by other guests. Their faces lit up in glee as the two of them walked over and took their seats on either side of her._

 _"Suit yourself, Gaara-san. Their company is quite nice. Pleasant talk with pretty women. Are you sure you don't want a hostess?"_

 _"You do look a little tense~" another voice cooed. A woman leaned over Gaara's seat. Her dark purple hair was short and styled over to one side. Her bust was very impressive, but very much near his face. He really couldn't stop it this time._

 _A light blush crossed his cheeks._

 _"He's so cute!"_

 _"Arisu-chan, leave him alone." Sakura laughed, "I think he's had enough of your teasing."_

 _Arisu, the club owner, pouted and pushed herself off the seat. She strode around them and situated herself on Sakura's lap, the three women now talking amiably with her. Gaara stared disbelievingly at the display in front of him before turning to a more polite looking hostess that came to replace their bottles of sake._

 _"Does this happen often?" he asked. The hostess giggled._

 _"Sakura-sama has been very popular among all the hostesses ever since she and Kisame-kun taught us self defense, um, two years ago? She's so smart and pretty and strong..."_

 _The hostess squished her cheeks._

 _"Ah, I'm going off on a rant, aren't I?"_

 _Gaara digested the information as he finally took his cup from the table and drew in a sip. Sakura was certainly different from how she was years before, but she still had all her soft demeanor underlying her thick skin. He stood._

 _"I think it's about time I left. My ship is set to depart in thirty minutes." he said. She glanced over at him from above the women's heads._

 _"Already? I guess it can't be helped. Maybe I'll see you soon, then."_

 _He started walking out of the club._

 _"Oh, and Gaara-san."_

 _He turned around._

 _"This never happened. Gaara nodded and continued on his way. At the end of the corridor, the door swung open and Kisame crossed the threshold. Their shoulders brushed against each other's as they passed._

 _"Breathe a word of this and we'll finish that fight."_

 _The Kazekage inclined his head._

 _"Hm."_

He could only hope that her presence didn't butcher any current or future relations between Oto and Konoha.

::

The silence was maddening, sending unbelievable uneasiness through the bloodstreams of those who stood in the hallway. Sakura herself looked perfectly calm despite the killing atmosphere they were being forced to partake in. She faced Kakashi first, staring straight into his beady, frightened eye.

"Kakashi-san." she greeted smoothly. He flinched, "I apologize for not introducing myself when we exchanged letters. I thought it would be more appropriate for formalities in person."

She held out her hand for him to take. He stared at it like it was some foreign substance that would hurt him if he touched it. Sakura quickly withdrew her hand.

"I... imagined our reunion would be something like this." she sighed. Kakashi very slowly regained his bearings and took hold of her shoulders. He forced himself to really get a look at her, his eye clouding with hurt.

"This... whole time..."

He grit his teeth.

"This whole time, you were in Otogakure? And you never said a single word?"

Sakura raised her eyes fearlessly.

"Yes. For eight years, I'd been the leader of the village. And I'm not planning on giving up my position anytime soon." she answered. The gears in his head starting to spin, Shikamaru took a step forward.

"B-But... your body..."

"The last member of the Rinha Clan is my Chief of Medicine. Her clan's abilities were very useful. That, and the genjutsu master I asked to check the body said that it seemed real enough."

"Genjutsu master?" Kurenai questioned, finally finding the voice to speak. Sakura nodded.

"Uchiha Itachi-san." she said. A shiver ran down their spines, "And his judgment was correct."

She surveyed their faces before a thought struck up in her head.

"Which reminds me, how's the Exchange Program going? Kabuto's reports were-"

"Hold on." Shikamaru interrupted. None of that made any sense! She faked her death, kept silent this entire time, all for what reason? What logical explanation could she possibly have of abandoning a place that treated her nothing but well?

"You wanted the world to believe you were dead? Sakura, we buried you-"

"- in the Nara Forest. I know." she replied quietly, "I was there."

"You were...?"

He stopped himself and took in a deep breath. This wasn't happening. This wasn't true. She couldn't have... this entire time? Every tear they cried and every thought they spared; when they had been miserable and full of self blame because they felt like they were the ones who made her leave. What of the horrid feeling in their hearts when they laid eyes on the still, lifeless, fake body they all wholeheartedly believed was the one and true Sakura they came to know and love?

...

It was a waste.

...

...

All of it.

...

...

...

Because it was meant for nothing.

...

Shikamaru tore his eyes away from her as he turned around and stalked out of the building.

"I'm going to take a smoke."

Sakura exhaled through her nose and looked back at Kakashi. The hurt had finally settled into his eyes. Kurenai, who was standing slightly behind him, had her hand pressed to her mouth in shock.

"Sakura..." he whispered, "... why?"

Her stare turned hard, every fiber of her being mustered up to grind the steel of her words.

"I wonder."

::

He couldn't take his eyes off her at the conference. Not in the entire three hours they had been in session. Mei, Kurotsuchi, and A had subtle levels of surprise when they learned the identity of the Otokage. Having been apprentice to the Godaime Hokage, her name was relatively well known across the Great Shinobi Nations, which brought them to their first order of business.

"Does this mean you were closely associated to Konoha these past years?"

"No. I'd cut ties with them long ago and they had nothing to do with how or why Otogakure turned out the way it has."

Kakashi couldn't help but feel a stab of pain at that statement. Sakura. His student. The one he thought he'd failed had risen to heights he couldn't imagine. The other Kage had then turned to him for confirmation. He solemnly agreed on the basis that Konoha, as well as everyone else, had believed her to be dead. Mei brought up the next main point that needed discussion.

"I understand that the Akatsuki have been spotted among your shinobi." she said, "And no one has the full story on that. Would you mind enlightening us on that specific situation?"

"To keep a long story short, the Akatsuki have been disbanded."

An air of surprise filled the room.

"Their leader, Nagato-san, first came to me seven years ago with a proposition. The details are classified, but it all ended in the Akatsuki members hanging up their cloaks and reclaiming a position as legally operating shinobi."

Sakura gestured to her left.

"As you can see with Kakuzu-san's attendance. Nagato-san also agreed to return the tailed beasts to their respective villages after a... meeting... a year after our first one, he agreed to dissolve the organization and become a faithful ally to Oto."

It was hard to believe that the Akatsuki leader, someone that had ruthlessly taken the lives of shinobi and civilians alike, would concede everything after listening to Sakura. Kakashi's shoulders dipped slightly. No, he couldn't be thinking that way. He had no right to speak for Sakura like he knew her. If she had done this, he obviously didn't.

"They're still the Akatsuki. Their criminal record is extensive and they should repay for their crimes, should they not?" Kurotsuchi inputted. Kakashi moved his eyes up to Kakuzu. His face was blank, almost bored-like, and looked wholly unconcerned with the meeting at hand.

"It's... true that they've pushed through with many punishable acts in the past." Sakura said, carefully picking her words, "But they have not committed those acts under my authority, therefore it isn't my place to charge them for said acts. Once they've pledged their loyalty towards the village and have received the Otogakure hitai-ate, they're entered in the system as a blank slate. Their pasts meant nothing the moment they started following my orders."

"And if they act on any other heinous crimes in the future?" A demanded.

"Then it will be taken up with me and I'll handle it accordingly."

She held herself so professionally and in such a distinct way that Kakashi could've mistaken her for Tsunade if it weren't for her pink hair. His eyes softened as he watched her speak more on the terms of the Akatsuki as well as her other shinobi. How she'd grown... but how was he going to tell the rest of Konoha about this? Hell, how was he going to tell Naruto?

"I've noticed the expansion of Ta no Kuni quite unexpectedly six or seven years ago. I can understand the Daimyou's want for new land, but are there any other interests aside from this one?" Gaara questioned. Sakura shook her head.

"The only reason why the land was taken was because it has been unclaimed for a long time. With no one moving to take it, the Daimyou jumped at the chance. At my ANBU Director's suggestion and Kakuzu-san's backing of said suggestion, the inhabitants of the territory were convinced and the land was ours. Aside from that, we have no other interest but keep the economy stable and maintain the requests for our shinobi at the level it's at." she replied. Kakashi set his elbows on the table and looked down at the polished wood. Sakura had always been the smart one, even in her genin days. It shouldn't be this much of a shock that she had been able to sustain her village well.

"What about your established alliances?" A inquired, "Surely you haven't been able to build up the village from nothing. At least, not in the very beginning. Otogakure was in shambles before you came and brought it up to full capacity."

Sakura held up four fingers.

"Nadeshiko, Takumi, Benisu, and Ame. Nadeshiko was able to help reform the education system. Some even stayed to teach classes the first one or two years of the reform. Takumi provided us weapons and medicinal supplies. Benisu allowed me to indulge in their herb populations, and Ame contributed by helping our monetary issues. The debts had all been paid at this point, of course." she said as her eyes slid to the side, "There was Jomae Village at one point in time, but we all know what happened to them."

There was only thing that popped into Kakashi's mind. He straightened.

"You're the Spring Kunoichi." he stated with a startling crash of realization. He felt Shikamaru and Kurenai tense up at the accusation, then tense up even further when Sakura gave a bitter smile.

"Yes, I am."

"Spring Kunoichi?" Mei repeated, intrigued.

"There's a rumor that's been circling around Konoha." Kakashi informed quietly, "About the person at the helm of the Jomae Massacre. Word spread that the 'Spring Kunoichi' and her red-haired accomplice took down over two hundred upper ranked shinobi overnight. We never figured out if the rumor was true or not, but it seems that the mystery has just been solved."

All heads turned to her. She stared back unremorsefully.

"Jomae was just as faithful as everyone else, giving aid to us when we needed it most. We repaid their work with money and medical services, as well as offering a few weeks of medical education. But it wasn't enough. It didn't satisfy them. Their leader wanted all our information. I'd be a fool to give it to him, so I refused. In return, he kidnapped for civilian children." she explained.

"He demanded I come alone, and I did. He wanted a trade- four lives for priceless information. Maybe he thought I was an idiot and wouldn't have come with a plan or I would've done something completely stupid. He was right, because I fully intended to take him on myself. What I wasn't expecting were the two hundred or so shinobi he had as reinforcements. He wasn't going to let me leave alive anyways so I did what I had to do. Fight. Once my two back ups arrived, I ordered one of them to take the children back to Otogakure. The other stayed and fought with me until morning, and the rest is history."

Kakuzu and Kabuto shared a look. An astounded silence echoed in the room. They were impressed by her diligence and persistence, but there was something unsettling in her resemblance to both Tsunade and Uchiha Itachi. Kurotsuchi leaned forward curiously.

"Who was your red-haired companion?"

She answered without a second beat.

"Akasuna no Sasori."

::

After the conference, the Kage had engaged in light chatter around the meeting room. Sakura was speaking with the Suna shinobi, elaborating further on what went on between her and Sasori.

"So he just came into your office one day, alive and just there?!" Kankuro exclaimed, "Bullshit! He got stabbed in the heart!"

He scratched the back of his head. Temari smacked the back of his head.

"Kankuro!" she hissed.

"What?"

Sakura cracked a grin. Fights like these reminded her of Kisame's and Kabuto's arguing most days, making her consider kicking them both out of her office on more than one occasion. The thought of it almost made her roll her eyes. She threw a quick glance at Kabuto and pouted.

 _'Why can't they just kiss already?'_

She crossed her her arms as Kakashi nervously made his way towards her.

"Could I speak with you for a few minutes?"

She regarded him for a moment before waving to Gaara and his quietly feuding family members and walking away with her old sensei. Gaara nodded at her and looked at his older sibling. Three seconds passed before he drifted somewhere quieter. Sakura and Kakashi found a secluded corner where they could talk.

"How can I help you?"

"You see, Konoha's going to find about this one way or another." he said, "How are you going to reveal yourself to everyone? If I say one word about you, I know Naruto's going straight to Otogakure regardless of what anyone else says, and that's just going to cause you some inconvenience."

"So Naruto hasn't changed a bit, hm? That's good to know." she smiled. She turned the thought over in her mind, "Well, how does a treaty between Oto and Konoha sound with you?"

He gave his signature eye crinkle.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. When do you want to discuss the details?" he asked.

"Next week. I'll come to the village myself and see how well it's been doing under your guidance." she answered. Kakashi's eye suddenly widened in alarm.

"You'll come...? Won't that...?"

"Don't worry about me, Kakashi-san. I've been taking care of myself for a long time now." Sakura said. His expression turned somber. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, so many things he wanted to know, but it seemed that he could only say one thing.

"I'll see you then."

He watched as she walked away, all his sorrows pulsing through his body. Obito and Sakura. Two important people in his life had come back to haunt his mistakes.

He hoped whatever sick God that played this trick on him was satisfied.

::

Sakura strode over to exit the conference room. Shikamaru was leaning against the doorway, playing with the flame of his silver lighter. He looked up when she made his way over to his direction, but closed his eyes and turned his head away when he saw who it was.

She said nothing to him as she left the area.

When he sure Sakura was out of his general vicinity, he pocketed the lighter and dropped his head.

"...Troublesome woman." he muttered.


	25. Konohagakure (Last Chapter)

_**A/N: An important announcement at the end!**_

::

"You seemed a bit... lenient with your information, wouldn't you say?" Kabuto remarked. The three of them trudged through the snow of Iron Country on their way to Otogakure. Kakuzu had to agree with that statement. She'd given out everything they asked for like candy, no real reservation or hint that she had something to hide. Sakura gave a sly smile.

"Yes, but does that information carry any heavy weight?"

Kabuto furrowed his brow.

"Heavy weight?"

"First they asked of my association with Konoha. I stated I had none, an obvious fact as it was. Two, they asked about the Akatsuki, who were in fact an international problem in the past. I agreed that they integrated into the village but I gave no particular idea to what position they had in the system, aside from Kakuzu-san, who had no other excuse to attending the Summit. Why would I tell their deeper purposes? Then came the mention of land. Uncharted territory that became ours. All I did was add some more fluff to it."

Kabuto rubbed the back of his neck and started to think he became more of an influence on her than he first thought.

"And then there were the alliances we made. Well, that just came out of the recent addition of our history textbooks." she said, "Anyone can get their hands on them once they go into circulation. Those textbooks also happen to include my personal report of what happened with the Jomae- nearly everything I told the other Kage. Last was the announcement of Sasori-san's active status. Now he doesn't have to wear a hood and mask whenever he goes out on missions with his genin team. If I didn't disclose this up front, I'm positive that everyone would have a fit."

An owl soared high over their heads before diving down and perching on Sakura's shoulder. It held a dead frog in it's beak. It placed it in her hand.

"Besides, Konoha isn't quite playing by the rules. Who's to say that I can't do the same?" she grinned, holding up the small amphibian. The two in her company stared at her for a few long moments, stunned at what they just heard. Yes, everything she said at the Summit... was common knowledge to the people. Absolutely nothing she discussed had been a village secret or had any true value to it.

Kakuzu pinned a stare at the shorter man.

"You did a swell job in raising that one." he commented.

"Better than I ever imagined." Kabuto chuckled. It subsided once he focused on the summon on her shoulder, "But how do you explain that?"

Sakura scratched the top of the owl's head, pleased when it made a cute crooning sound.

"There were unusual animal densities in the area, which included the population of dogs and frogs. Once Bunko-san informed me of this development, I decided to play my hand in it as well."

Suddenly, they felt as if they were being watched. Along with their snow-colored surroundings came hundreds upon hundred of bright yellow eyes. The amount of owls they were witnessing felt unbelievably ominous. Kakuzu shook his head.

"You're insane."

"As you've told me many times before."

The eyes disappeared soon after, probably to resume their predatory watch over the other shinobi still in the country. Kabuto really was content with his choice to stay with her in Otogakure eight years ago. She sure as hell wasn't an Orochimaru, but maybe that was for the better.

"What about the faux treaty with Konoha?" he asked.

"An excuse, of course. What Kakashi-san said was true, after all. If Naruto found out, he would come to Oto and cause a stir. That's unacceptable." she said, "So I'll deal with everything in that village. My old team, my old friends, my old sensei, the council..."

Her eyes glimmered.

"... and probably something about the Uchiha."

::

"Sakura's not stupid." Kakashi mentioned, "She wouldn't just step into a treaty that quickly without some ulterior motive behind it. There's something that she must be planning, there _has_ to be."

He looked to Kurenai and Shikamaru. They were still in the building in Iron Country, preparing themselves for the trek back to Konoha. But the both of them had stayed silent. Kakashi sighed, understanding the situation and keeping everything else he had to say to himself. Her appearance had done more than just shocked them.

It disturbed them to the very core, shaking their insides and squeezing the air out of their lungs with enough force to kill them.

"Maybe she should've stayed dead." Shikamaru murmured. Kakashi's eyes immediately snapped up to the younger man. What words to say about a close friend, he wanted to exclaim, you're talking about Sakura! My student, your friend...

Though a person who faked her death for six years.

Kakashi grabbed his Kage hat and began his walk out of the building. It looked like an unforgivable act from anyone's standpoint. This sort of thing- it turned years of grief to an embodiment of rage. How could she do this? Why would she do this? How in all seven hells had she picked _a village_ over _her family_?

As he stepped outside, he looked up at the cloudy skies. His breath was made clearly visible despite him wearing a mask. He missed Sakura. Just like everyone else did. What he couldn't understand was any possible reason for her to do what she did.

"Kakashi!"

Pakkun bounded up to him, short stubby legs kicking up the snow. He slid to a halt and looked to his summoner.

"Yo. Why are you back already? Was there a problem with the surveillance?" Kakashi asked. Pakkun grimaced, throwing paranoid glances around him and the tree lines.

"Look, 'Kashi. It's a normal thing for this area to be crawlin' with summons and watchin' everyone else's moves, y'know? But this ain't like any other Summits. The Otokage came, and it ain't a surprise that the damn birds came with." he sneered. Kurenai digested his words and raised her eyes to the snow covered trees. The more she stared, the more she could make out the shapes of white strigiformes. They seemed to have detected her gaze and stared back, bright yellow circles piercing through her soul.

"The birds?" he repeated. The pug nodded fiercely.

"These freakin' owls! They're all over the place, starin' like we offended them or somethin'." Pakkun huffed, "We saw a bunch of them before when you sent us for reconnaissance those years back, but we thought nothin' of it. Who would? Ta no Kuni's known to be swarmin' with 'em anyways. But if they all came here, it ain't a coincidence. Summon or not, these are all that Kage's doin'. And that explains why Jiraiya-sama's frogs haven't returned."

A dawning realization crashed into the Hokage like a tidal wave. Sakura had taken such great lengths to keep her identity a secret that she placed watchdogs in every square foot of her country. Such creatures were efficient with their prying eyes and their sense of common knowledge. With such a large system at her disposal, it was no wonder that she was so effective in seeking out spies. Owls were the type of summons that didn't just accept any shinobi to be their summoner.

That person had to be smart and pure of heart.

How could Sakura... after all she'd done...?

"We wouldn't have to resort to such measures if you haven't done something to incite them." a soft voice crooned. A brown owl landed on Shikamaru's shoulder. It fluffed its wings before tucking them close to its body and regarding the group thoughtfully calculating eyes. Pakkun spread his front paws and growled, earning him an irritated glare.

"How rude. Is that how you greet a fellow summon?" the owl sniffed, "Well, you are a dog after all; nothing like cats. They're snobby, but at least they have manners."

"This is why I'm so sick of ya' birdbrains! Have ya' heads so far up your asses 'cause 'ya think you're so goddamn smart!"

"Why don't you go play fetch somewhere else? I'm sure that can't be _too_ complicated for you."

"Hey now. There's no need to get hostile." Kakashi interrupted with a nervous chuckle, "Come on, Pakkun and, I'm sorry, you are?"

"Bunko. Sakura-san's personal summon."

There was a short, uncomfortable silence. Her name mentioned so casually like that still made them queasy, and they needed a lot more time to get used to it. Kakashi looked down at his summon.

"Can you and the others please continue keeping an eye out? I'd really appreciate it."

Pakkun seemed a bit reluctant to leave them alone with that thing, but nodded nonetheless and returned to his post. Bunko felt the gloom hanging in the atmosphere and pecked the nearest thing she could find. Shikamaru's head.

"Ow! What the-?!"

"Please, lighten the mood. Your ordeal with Sakura-san shouldn't be taken as a depressing one." she said. Shikamaru immediately shut up, "Oh yes, don't think I'm not fully aware. Sakura-san left her home village in exchange for another she never knew. I understand. Katsuyu-chan was kind enough to inform me of the depth of Sakura-san's situation."

Her and Katsuyu were on quite good terms, actually. They'd met on several occasions and had spoken over a multitude of topics over the past forty years. In fact, if it weren't for Katsuyu, she might not have even heard of Haruno Sakura at all. And if it weren't for Katsuyu saying nothing but wonderful things about the girl, she would have never sought her out from the very beginning.

"So you know about how she faked her death." Kurenai brought up quietly. Bunko nodded.

"Yes, I was there when the body was placed for the Uchiha to find." she replied. Shikamaru's eyebrows came together.

"What do you mean 'placed for the Uchiha to find'? She did it on purpose? She _wanted_ Sasuke to come back to Konoha?" he asked incredulously.

"That's something you'd have to ask her about, hm?" Bunko mused, "Now for the real reason I came here. Sakura-san had moved her arrival time for your meeting. She's making a straight journey there- and will make it to your village in three days time."

"That's... she'll make it there before we do!" Kurenai exclaimed. Kakashi clapped his hands together and forced a smile onto his face.

"Maa, let's not keep her waiting then."

::

Rock Lee and Shino were on guard duty today. It was calm for the time being. Barely anyone had come through, there weren't any problems, and it appeared as just being another one of those days in Konoha.

That is, until three figures approached.

At a close range, they could make out the image of Kakuzu and Yakushi Kabuto. Kakuzu they had never met before, and he looked far different than what he had donned in the past. But what really caught their attention was the figure in the center. Whoever it could be was shorter than the two of them with a thick cloak wrapped around their shoulders and a hood pulled over their head, the shadow shielding all facial features.

"... What's your business here?" Shino questioned, "Something concerning Otogakure?"

Nearly everyone had at least heard something about the Akatsuki. Uchiha Itachi and Hidan had been spotted around the village so many times now that the shinobi were starting to get used to them. The council had been angered greatly, yes, but nothing was done because of how fragile diplomatic relations already were.

"I know Kakashi-san isn't back yet, but I'm only two hours or so ahead of him." the hooded person said. Lee and Shino froze, "I hope it isn't too much trouble if I go and wait in his office."

Voices were unmistakable.

And this one wasn't any different.

Lee slowly left his post and stood toe to toe with the shorter stranger. He reached over and tugged the hood down.

Pastel-colored locks brushed against his bandaged fingers.

::

Tsunade strode down the hallways of the Hokage Tower. Word traveled fast when the Otokage stepped foot into the village. Male or female, still no one knew. They were completely covered as Lee and Shino escorted them to Kakashi's office. She was curious over who had taken the reigns after Orochimaru's demise.

As she walked through the corridor to formally greet the Otokage, she saw Lee close the door behind him with an unusually serious expression. She called out to him.

"Lee."

His head snapped up to her.

"G-Good afternoon, Tsunade-sama!" he greeted in his usual Gai-like fashion. Though there was something off about it, like the stuttering and the way he wouldn't meet her eyes, "Did you, um, come to greet the Otokage?"

She nodded slowly, confused as to why Lee would act like this.

"Yes... Did you speak to them?" Tsunade asked. His face dropped as he wrung his hands together nervously.

"I did, ma'am. But it's just- that- I-!"

Lee sighed and moved to the side.

"I think it would be better if you saw for yourself."

With a raised brow, she twisted the door handle and entered the room. Kakuzu and Kabuto, in fact were not present. She saw a cloak neatly placed across the chair and a young woman sitting on the desk facing the gaping window. The first thing she noticed was the short cut of pink hair, increasing her heart rate to a million beats per second. Tsunade then saw the back of the woman's red shirt and recognized the white circle _instantly_.

She grit her teeth.

"What kind of genjutsu are you pulling?" she hissed. The woman slid off the desk and turned around. Tsunade stopped breathing as she took in those oh-so familiar eyes and the diamond on her forehead.

"I'm... sorry that this isn't one." Sakura said, meeting her old shishou's gaze blankly. The sannin clenched her fist and walked up to stand in front of her presumably deceased student. Had she not been wearing her heels, Sakura would've probably stood an inch taller than her.

"The Akatsuki killed you."

"They helped me complete the ruse."

Sakura's eyes grew soft as she bowed her head. It was not out of shame, but of obvious apology. She hadn't meant for things to turn out the way it did, but it happened. And if she was given the chance to do everything again, she wouldn't.

"I don't regret the things I did." she informed with a determinable hardness in her voice, "And I hope that you, of all people, can understand why I don't."

She looked up. To Tsunade, it was like staring into a mirror. She saw a tired, but familiar gleam in those eyes. They were the eyes of someone who was sick of everything they were raised to be and that chose the opposite. Then the seal. Sakura had done something that pushed her past her limit; something she had to suffer dire consequences for or die trying.

Tsunade didn't know whether to kill her for real or bring her into a long deserved hug.

She settled for the latter.

Sakura was brought into a fierce squeeze and readily wrapped her arms around her mentor. She felt Tsunade sigh into her shoulder as she tightened her grip.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't turn out like me."

A smile crossed the younger's face.

"Sorry to disappoint, shishou."

::

Kakashi gave a sigh of relief when he saw Sakura lounging in his seat, speaking some whimsical nonsense with her advisor and right hand man. And what nonsense it sounded like because he had no idea what they were talking about.

"I wouldn't believe you even if you told me he got a bug to like him." Kakuzu deadpanned. Sakura groaned.

"You received the invitation too!"

"It must be an invitation for LSD and cocaine because he was probably high and talking out his ass when he made them." Kabuto said. Kakuzu nodded in assent, causing her to roll her eyes and smack both their arms.

"Your guy's faith in Hidan is impeccable."

She hopped to her feet when she spotted Kakashi's entrance into the office. Gracing him with an open smile, she walked over to him.

"So, are we starting?" Sakura chirped. For a moment, she was twelve again. That naive little genin who was blissfully ignorant of the real world. He quickly shook that image from his head and returned the smile.

"Yes we are. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the meeting room. Kurenai and Shikamaru will stay here and direct your colleagues to the waiting area." he said. Sakura glanced over to her to her two associates and flicked her eyes to the side before following the Hokage. He led her to one of the rooms on the upper floors. Kakashi let her in, revealing five plush seats set in a circle with a small table beside each one. She made her way over to the furthermost chair.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura turned around in surprise.

"Kakashi-san? Why are you apologizing to me?"

He shut the door behind him and sunk down in the seat closest to him. He then let his true wariness show on his face as he lifted his headband and held the the bottom part of his face, pulling his mask down as he did so. Sakura gaped at the gesture and took his silence to sit down.

"It was something we did, wasn't it?" he murmured dishearteningly, "You're not the type to just leave without saying a word. What... What was it that we did to make you leave?"

First he lost his father, then his teammates, then his sensei, and now his student. When you lose people as easily as that, you start to wonder if it really was your fault or if you were just cursed. Kakashi believed both, to be perfectly honest. But when two of them came back having lived a life better than when he'd known them, it made it think.

 _Really, was it him?_

"... My decision wasn't made off you guys. Losing you all was the consequence of my action, not the thing that drove me to it." she answered, "Everything I did was on me, and I will take the full blame for it. Kakashi-san, I have a singular reason for it."

He looked at her.

"I was tired of being just a supporting character in everyone's stories. For once in my life, I wanted to do something for me. Not Naruto, not Sasuke, but _me_."

He wasn't able to get another word out when the door opened. The three Konoha Council members came into the conference room; Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the second councilman. Out of everyone in the trio, Danzo was the one she came to despise. There was just something about him that made her want to reach over and tear out his neck.

"So the rumors were true. The traitor has returned." Danzo remarked. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair as the council members took their respective seats. Kakashi's mask was back in its normal place, as well as his hitai-ate.

"With your return to Konoha, I assume you're here to receive punishment?" Koharu inquired. Her hands were neatly placed in her lap, her eyes brimming with something akin to having passed fair judgment. Sakura smirked.

"Not at all. Your diplomatic policies clearly state that you cannot harm or detain persons of another village despite all previous crimes, correct? It's a valid point agreed upon by both Konohagakure and Otogakure as far as I'm concerned." she stated with a light smile. Homura frowned in displeasure.

"You are a representative."

"I'm the Otokage."

She wanted to laugh at the expressions that crossed their faces. Especially at Danzo's menacing scowl.

"I came here to discuss certain things concerning the two villages. Not a treaty, per se..."

Kakashi shifted in his seat. He knew it.

"... but to qualify or dispute any ideas about Otogakure. I have already made clear my stance and involvement with allies, other villages, the Akatsuki, and the Jomae Massacre, and you may ask Kakashi-san for clarification on that information. Other things you may want to discuss can be discussed as long as the information is able to be disclosed." Sakura said. She saw them exchange careful glances with each other and could see which direction this conversation was being carried to, like she had predicted in an earlier time. Danzo leaned forward, his fingers curled around some notch in his cane.

"You have an Uchiha working under your order." he remarked, "A true heir to the clan's bloodline limit. But that bloodline limit has flourished in this village since the very beginning. If anything, the sharingan belongs to Konoha and Konoha alone."

The attention was shifted back to Sakura as they awaited her answer.

"That may be so, but I think that belonging has diminished ever since the Uchiha massacre. That clan does have its roots in Konoha, I agree, but the ratio of Uchiha serving each village has been tilted in my favor, because there are two Uchiha working under me. The first and obvious one is Uchiha Itachi, and the second is the previously assumed deceased Uchiha Obito; a soul you may recall as being a student to the Yondaime Hokage."

In the midst of the shocked responses, she pulsed chakra to her Akatsuki ring, an act that didn't go unnoticed by the occupants of the room.

"If you don't believe me, I'm quite sure you'll believe the man himself."

They only had to wait in a few moments of tense silence before there were knocks at the door and the handle turned. Tobi came into the room, casting a quick glance at Kakashi before smiling at his Kage.

"Ah, so you want me to do it right now, Sakura-sama?"

"If it isn't too much trouble."

Tobi nodded and took off his eye patch, both eyes swirling into a familiar red. His newly implanted eye shouldn't have been able to form another sharingan, but his Uchiha blood had gradually come to change it to the way it was supposed to be. But that sharingan had yet to be fully developed and was still in its early stages. Kakashi averted his gaze as Sakura gave a large grin.

"So, any further questions?"

::

Shikamaru was loitering around the window of the Hokage's office with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He then took a long drag, letting the streams of white spill into the air in front him. He turned his head at the sound of voices behind him, seeing that Sakura and Kakashi had returned. He tossed the smoke on the roof top underneath him and crushed it with the toe of a sandal before opening the window and climbing through.

"Do you plan on staying long?" Kakashi asked as he sat down at his desk. Sakura shrugged, cracking her neck.

"Long enough." she replied cryptically, "There are a few things I still need to do."

He nodded in understanding then looked to Shikamaru.

"Can you show Sakura-san to where she'll be staying for the duration of her visit? Thank you."

Sakura bid her old sensei goodbye as she followed the silent smoker out of the building, keeping pace beside him while carefully watching his actions. Her cloak hung loosely around her shoulders with the hood bunched up around her neck. They were out in public where the world could finally see her as she was. Whispers followed them with every step they took. Sakura was positive that the whole village would know by noon tomorrow.

"Did..."

She tilted her head towards him.

"Hm?"

He scratched the back of his head.

"Did you place that body there for Sasuke to find?" he asked.

"Bunko-san told you that much, did she?" Sakura mused, "Well, I suppose I owe you that explanation in the very least."

They stopped in front of the hotel she'd be staying at and kept to one of the larger trees. The cool winter air bit at their skin, the sun making the cold much more tolerable. Sakura pulled the cloak tighter around herself.

"I asked Zetsu-san to put the body in Team Hebi's way in hopes that once they came across it, it would make Sasuke rethink his plan of revenge or at least be nice enough to hand it off to Konoha. What I didn't expect was for him to actually stay. But when I heard that Zetsu-san fixed the blame on the Akatsuki, it made far more sense as to why he probably made the decision."

She watched the few people that passed them by.

"Maybe it was one of those things I tried to do to make up for what I'd already done. Leaving the village. Making you guys feel miserable."

Sakura met his eyes, hers presenting absolute apology.

"For killing Asuma-san."

Shikamaru's hands receded into fists, balled up at his side as he looked away. The heavy feeling returned to the pit of his stomach, tightening their hold on his organs and killing him from inside. He knew that case had to be her fault, as all evidence had pointed towards her, but he didn't want to believe it.

No one did.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. Not now, not ever. And I'm okay with that." she continued, a bitter smile on her face, "You don't have to listen to me. I'll say what needs to be said to everyone I let down and then I'll leave. You'll never have to see me again."

He heaved a heavy sigh.

"It's... It's not that we want to forget you." he said as he scratched the back of his head, "What we- What _I_ don't understand is why you'd do something like that. Why you'd leave the village without a word, why'd you never contact us, why you'd fake your death, _why you'd attend your own funeral._ "

Sakura looked up at the leaves.

"If I told you guys, you wouldn't have let me leave, would you?"

He stared at her for a long while until a cough of a laugh bubbled out his throat as he moved his head upward at the falling leaves as well.

"You really are troublesome."

::

Kurenai stood in her kitchen with a teapot heating up on the stove. Mirai was tucked into bed for the night and all she needed today was a cup of her favorite jasmine tea and some time to reflect on her time at the Summit. Seeing Sakura after such a long time and after every thought she spared respecting her passing, she never imagined she'd see her again. Kurenai couldn't even fathom the reactions of the rest of Konoha Twelve.

 _Ding-Dong._

She furrowed her brow and padded over to the door. She opened it silently, eyes widening at the sight of the aforementioned standing on her doorstep. Sakura smiled.

"Good evening, Kurenai-san. I know it's rather late, but I was hoping that I could speak with you about a few things." she said. Kurenai sidestepped as she held the door wide open.

"Of course, please, come in. I'm heating up some tea right now." the older woman answered. Sakura slipped off her shoes and followed her into the kitchen. She sat down at the table as Kurenai tended to the whistling pot. Sakura surveyed her surroundings, taking in the cozy appeal of the apartment. The walls were painted a soft yellow with fresh flowers sitting at the window sill.

"How have you been?" she asked. Kurenai took two mugs out of the cupboard and placed them in front of her guest. After pouring tea into both of them, she gave gave one to her and sat on the opposite side of the table.

"I've been fine. And yourself?"

"I've been doing well."

The lapsed into silence. Kurenai's fingers curled around the whole of her cup as she stared down at the tinted liquid. She felt movement from across the table.

Looking up, she saw Sakura walk over to where she sat. Then quite suddenly, she dropped into a low bow.

"Sa-"

"Please accept my sincerest apologies, Kurenai-san." Sakura said, stunning the other, "I didn't mean to make your life harder than it needed to be."

Red eyes flashed with something unreadable as they stared at the top of a pink head.

"Asuma-san was a good person and didn't deserve what happened to him. Not in the slightest. It's all my fault that he isn't here anymore. I know saying this won't bring him back, but I want you to know that even though there's no excuse for my actions, I'm sorry for what I did to you and your daughter."

She kept her posture, not moving a single muscle in her bow. Kurenai lay a hand on Sakura's shoulder and began to pat it gently. She raised her head.

"I already forgave you a long time ago."

The Kage slowly retracted her bow.

"Kurenai-san..."

"Kaa-saaan! I can't sleep!"

A little girl who couldn't be older than seven toddled into the room, one hand rubbing her eyes and the other clutching a pillow. Upon entering the kitchen, her bright red eyes landed on a stranger. She was now fully aware and inched closer to her mother.

"Hello." Sakura greeted, "What's your name?"

The girl, taken in by such a kind smile, shyly returned it.

"I'm Mirai, miss."

"Mirai? That's a pretty name." she mused. Mirai giggled. Kurenai lightly guided her daughter towards her and smoothed down unruly black hair.

"Head back to your room, dear, and I'll be there soon to read you another story, okay?"

Mirai nodded and muttered a goodbye before pitter-pattering back to her room. Sakura watched her go, feeling a stab of guilt. Kurenai raised the mug to her lips and took in a long sip.

"Would you like more tea?"

She sat back down in her seat.

"Yes... thank you, Kurenai-san."

::

Tobi appeared in the Hokage's office with his eye patch tucked safely in his kunai pouch. His heterochromatic eyes met Kakashi's as he sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

"It wasn't a nice surprise, was it?"

Kakashi sighed and reclined in his chair while training his eyes toward the plain white ceiling.

"Not in the beginning, no. But I think I've received the bulk of the shock back at the Summit. But... the both of you coming back at the same time? It almost seems like this whole things has all been a dream. The dead weren't really dead to begin with. Maybe a movie." he said.

"Well, whatever you may think of it, don't be too hard on her. She had a good enough reason for doing what she did." he mentioned. Tobi's mind drifted off to when Nagato visited Otogakure. that day, the things they learned were far too important to take for granted. And he'd be lying if he said that what they heard hadn't enforced their will to work under Sakura.

Talking down the man who wanted to rule the world?

Ha.

A fantasy they never thought possible.

But Sakura had done it. She stuck her neck out, blatantly called him out on his mistakes and misconceptions of peace and suffering. It didn't matter that she was physically able or had the brains to back up her brawn, but that she was able to get through even the hardest of heads.

Haruno Sakura gave them their lives back, and they couldn't do enough to repay her.

Kakashi's eyes drifted to him.

"You know why she left."

"I have an idea, but I can't be too sure." was his airy reply. With no other choice but to accept the answer, the Hokage returned his gaze to the ceiling.

"Hm."

And so they sat in silence with nothing but the dim lighting and moon rays flooding in to the room. But this time, it was comfortable. One that they could both eventually come to live with as Kakashi and Obito, the remnants of Team Minato.

::

The sun was barely up. Sakura was content in sitting in an onsen this early morning. The warm water seeped into her skin and relaxed her worn muscles. She'd stay here for a little while longer until she'd go seek out everyone else she wished to give an explanation to.

And apparently, fate decided to cut her efforts short.

Sakura braced herself and resisted the urge to hold her head in her hands when she heard two awfully familiar voices approaching the hot springs. She could barely make out the conversation, but heard her's and Shikamaru's name thrown about here and there. It felt like ages until the door slid open, two figures stepping onto the rock flooring.

"Ino, I just can't-"

Hinata stilled when her eyes landed on the single person sitting in the hot springs. Her jaw dropped down as she covered her mouth with her hand, a few tears springing to the corner of her eyes. Ino stopped as well. She looked at her friend with concern before following her gaze.

The reaction was instantaneous.

" _YOU!_ I'M GOING TO **KILL** YOU!"

Though it was the reaction Sakura was expecting. She dodged the fists the flew in her direction and easily blocked the ones that were aimed straight at her face.

"Ino!" Hinata exclaimed.

"All these years! All these GODDAMN years and you were alive!"

Sakura ducked down in the water before popping up on the other side of the bath.

"Ino..." she tried. Her call fell on deaf ears as Ino continued her assault, face growing an intense red as and endless surge of tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Eight! Whole! Years! EIGHT! I saw your dead body! I had to WATCH as you got buried! And this is what you do?! You're who-the-fuck-knows-where doing who-the-fuck-knows what for EIGHT _FUCKING_ YEARS while we're over here crying our eyes out thinking you were the first one to go?!" Ino screamed. She threw another punch, ending in Sakura catching it and holding onto that hand. Shen then flung another fist forward, the other catching it as well and keeping a steady grip.

"Ino, will you listen to me? Please?" Sakura asked softly. Ino's bottom lip trembled at the other's calm. She looked so much older, so much more mature, and so much unlike the girl she knew so many years ago. She snatched her hands away and turned away to lean against one of the rocks that lined the water.

"... Why did you go...?" Ino whispered. Her words were broken as sobs wracked her entire body. Sakura pressed her lips together, watching her friend break down through the quiet sounds of her crying. She extended her arm to try and comfort her, but she didn't deserve the opportunity to do that. Moving her eyes back to the entrance, she saw Hinata still standing there. She had retreated far enough until her back collided with the wall.

"I..."

Sakura pulled her arm back and let it fall into the water.

"... I couldn't stay here anymore."

::

Sakura walked out of the onsen in her heavy red jacket and breathed a sigh. The confrontation with Hinata and Ino went just as well as she expected- which was not at all. She tried to explain herself by saying that she wasn't happy with her life in Konoha. She loved her friends, dearly, in fact, but she just... she just couldn't keeping living that same life as another obedient Konoha shinobi.

She couldn't get any other words out than that before Ino got out of the bath and left the onsen.

 _"Ino?"_

 _"I... I can't even look at you right now. I'm want to listen but... but I just can't..."_

She tried to extend her explanation to Hinata who took it far better than Ino had. Hinata stayed for a little while longer, quietly listening through Sakura's story. Or at least, the basic outline of the story. She knew quite well what it felt like to not be good enough or to now belong in a place you've always called home. Hinata agreed with her reasoning, but she didn't exactly support the method she used to get it.

 _"I'll ask you the same thing I did Shikamaru. If I told you guys, you wouldn't have let me leave, would you?"_

 _Hinata looked down and sank lower into the water._

 _"We would've done the same thing we did to Sasuke." she answered quietly. Sakura nodded and tried a smile to lighten the mood._

 _"Yeah. And that would just cause to much trouble for my village."_

 _The heiress took a moment to process that and slowly raised her head. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung agape once more._

 _"You... which village?"_

 _Sakura kept the smile on her face._

 _"Otogakure."_

She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and walked down the streets. Her feet led her down a well-known path to the parks of sprawling steps and tall, overbearing trees. As Sakura let her old memories play back through her consciousness, she spotted an easel set up against a railing and a pale man sat on a stool in front of it.

"Sai?"

His head whipped to the side.

"S-Sakura?"

He abruptly stood up from his seat. In doing so, his elbow collided with his painting, sending it falling to the side. Sai made a move to catch it, but tripped over his stool and ended up tumbling down into his paints. He quickly sat up, not minding of the white and orange paints that stained his black sweater.

"You're really alive!"

Her eyes went from the easel, to the stool, then to him.

"I'm sorry." she deadpanned, "I think I mistook you for someone else. The Sai I knew would never... well... do whatever you just did."

Sai laughed, causing her to cringe and begin to edge away when he stood and walked up to her. He was a foot in front of her when he gave her a huge grin and opened his arms.

"Oh come on, eight years and this is what I get? At least let me give you a hug." he said. He looked down at his sweater, "Oh yeah. It's the paint, isn't it? Here, let me just..."

He tugged it over his head and exposed the dark gray thermal underneath and opened his arms up again. At her frightened expression, he let out another laugh and dropped his arms.

"Am I that surprising?" Sai asked.

"This is the first I'm hearing of an eccentric, bubbly you. I expected emotions and all, but I didn't think you'd start to take after Naruto." she replied. He shrugged, keeping up his shameless grin.

"It's not like I had any other influences to go off on. Kakashi-sama? Kind of lazy, procrastinates, you know. Not the type of person I was in the first place. Next you've go Sasuke who still sulks around every now and then but keeps quiet most of the time anyways. _I_ like to talk. So then I have the ever influential Dickless who helped me become all of this." he said, giving himself a grand gesture, "Of course I haven't taken after everything like having that ridiculous ramen obsession or using his trademark 'dattebayo', but I guess there's enough for me to make an impact."

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Impact? More like something that scared me half to death. But not bad. I'm impressed with your emotional awareness; it looks rather good on you." she smiled. They both crouched down to fix his art set up. His pitch black eyes traced her curiously.

"I'd say the same thing for you."

"Oh? And why's that?"

Sai propped up the easel and placed his canvas back on it. It luckily hadn't sustained any damage.

"Those eight years obviously did something to you. Good or bad, I'm not too sure yet. But the way you present yourself is so much different now. You hold your head up high, your back's straighter, and you have this, like, sort of authoritative look in your eyes. And that temper of yours went somewhere else because I'm positive that the you from eight years ago would've punched me for using the word Dickless." he chuckled.

Sakura thought about it. She didn't even bat an eye at his unusual nickname for Naruto, but maybe that was because she'd known Hidan for so long already and his mouth was far dirtier than anyone she'd ever met. And he worked in pediatrics.

"It's not really a good idea for me to punch people in the position I'm in now. There have been a few cases in the past where annoying redheads and blondes have gotten the best of me, but I think I've curved down the desire to express my temper well enough. That's what training grounds are for right?" she grinned. She took a seat on the railing to observe him as he continued his painting.

"Position?" he mused, "Let me guess. Otokage?"

"Always been too smart for your own good, Sai."

"I try."

The sun was now high up in the sky, but it was still too early for any shops to open up for the day. Sakura thought about how much longer she'd have in Konoha before she had to return to her duties back in her village. She maybe had a day or two left until Kisame completely threw in the towel and would forcefully drag her back so he wouldn't have to do anymore paperwork. Then there was the big celebration in three weeks.

"Sai."

He didn't look up from his painting.

"Yes?"

"Your reaction to this seems a little off. So far, I've received sad, angry, quiet acceptance, and enraged. You seem to be taking this in stride." she observed. He pointed his paintbrush at her.

"I was in ROOT, remember? I could read pretty much everyone like an open book, and you were no exception. It hurt when you left, but I was positive you had a good reason for it. You death threw me off for the longest time, but once I heard about the Spring Kunoichi, then I thought you must've returned somehow."

He exhaled.

"I was going to be mad if you came back with nothing to show for your disappearance. But with what you've accomplished, raising a village and becoming a Kage... well..."

He gave her an even wider smile than before.

"I'm proud of you."

::

Sasuke didn't like these early morning training sessions, as he was never really a morning person, but it was routine. Shikamaru didn't show up like he normally did and last time he heard, he had no missions lined up because of his going to the Kage Summit, but he didn't spare it anymore thought. He probably had some plans, was all.

Besides, he preferred the solitude this one morning to mull over the more recent rumors he heard about yesterday. Haruno Sakura's return? Tch. It was just another one of those bizarre stories that happened to reach the pulse of Konoha's rumor mill.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me."

"It's not hard! Light blue or powder blue!"

"You and Kabuto are the same! This is ridiculous- those cards are showing the exact same shade of blue! Ugh, why didn't you discuss this with Marisu?"

"Because she told me to pick by the time I get back and I don't know which one to choose. I mean, this one's darker but-"

"Darker? Darker?! They're the same!"

"You're fucking colorblind."

"And I hate you for putting me through this bullshit again."

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as he quickened his pace en route to the pair of voices. Right as he turned a corner right under the early morning light, he saw Sakura and Hidan arguing about... colors? He in his doctor's coat and she in a red jacket with white fur lining the hood. They were on the outskirts of his usual training grounds seemingly uncaring that he was standing there.

Suddenly, magenta irises met his, glinting the same way when they first met. He leaned forward and whispered something into Sakura's ear. Sasuke grit his teeth at the inability read lips when Hidan held up his hand to cover the view of his mouth. Sakura then turned her head to get a look at Sasuke herself, surprising him when her only acknowledgement was a slight frown and a sigh.

"Go to work." she grumbled. He laughed and gave a two-fingered salute.

"Have fun, Sakura-sama."

Sasuke's brow furrowed as he closed the distance between him and his former teammate. She stared up at him unflinchingly.

"Why did he address you as 'Sakura-sama'?" he asked. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her answer sounding like the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's my name, of course. Have you forgotten it already?"

He twitched.

"Why are you alive?"

Her frown sank lower. She reached over and flicked his nose, sending him stumbling back a few steps in shock.

"That's a rather rude way of asking." she said, "But I suppose it's natural coming from you. I'm alive because I never really died in the first place. You found my 'body', brought it back to Konoha, and now you're a reinstated shinobi of the village. It's a win/win situation, isn't it? I'm sure you're familiar with such concepts since Orochimaru was your mentor."

He couldn't believe his ears. _This_ was the Sakura he left on the bench when they were merely genin? Impossible. She would never act like this towards him, like a hurdle she had to hop over or a random stranger whose questions she had to satisfy with fluff words. And those eyes, looking at him like she had nothing better to do.

"... You've changed."

She bobbed her head.

"Yes well, twelve years does many things to a person, in case you haven't noticed. Come to think of it, it proves true to you too." she mused. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Me?"

"Yeah. For a minute there, it sounded like you actually cared about what happened to me." Sakura smirked. His eyes widened. No, this definitely wasn't the girl he knew so long ago. That girl was annoying, kind, and boy-struck who didn't care so much for the duties of a kunoichi. The person in front of him now was a whole other being with a whole other personality. He clenched his fists. And if this person had Hidan's respect...

"I am concerned about-"

"Concerned? I didn't know you had that word in your vocabulary."

He twitched a second time before continuing.

"-where you've been all this time. Where have you been and what did you do for Hidan of the Akatsuki to take orders from you. Better yet, how did you get them to lie about killing you themselves?" he questioned with that same old monotonous tone. Sakura surveyed him for a while, eyes narrowing and a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"Are you concerned of what I've made of myself?"

She straightened and looked him dead in the eye.

"Or are you concerned by the fact that Itachi-san now takes orders from me?"

::

Itachi was walking through the nearly empty streets of Konoha at Hidan's suggestion. What was it that crazed surgeon said?

 _"Go to those training grounds your little brother seems to go to all the time. I think you'll find something interesting when you get there."_

He didn't have any cases scheduled until two in the afternoon, providing him ample to do whatever he pleased this morning. Itachi silently approached the training grounds and saw quite a sight. His little brother and his Kage were facing each other, the former a tad irritated and the latter in her professional mode.

"Are you concerned of what I've made of myself?"

She looked Sasuke dead in the eye.

"Or are you concerned by the fact that Itachi-san now takes orders from me?"

Oh. Hidan wasn't wrong about this being interesting. Itachi stopped at the corner that turned into the path and stayed, watching for the outcome from the corner of his eyes. Sasuke clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"You say his name like he's a friend." he growled, "And you dare associate yourself with that monster?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side.

"Monster? Itachi-san's one of the best people I know."

...

...

...

... Oh?

Itachi blinked, taking a long moment to understand what she just said and kept watching the scene unfold. Sasuke's eyes went wide with incredulity and fury that he probably didn't notice that his sharingan was fully showing. She was unfazed by his reaction and gripped both cheeks with her hand, squishing them together. Itachi blinked again.

"Twelve years and I thought you'd learn forgiveness by now. But maybe it's just because I've come to know Itachi-san for the past six years. I let him become a shinobi of Otogakure, offered him a spot in the hospital, and let him him do as he pleased. He puts everything into his work and does it in such a kind, quiet way that I'd completely forgotten what he did in the past. He moved on, Sasuke."

Sakura let go of his cheeks and recrossed her arms.

"Maybe it's about time you did the same."

He let the sharingan spin out of existence, but gained a deeper, more sinister scowl.

"Don't talk about things you know _nothing_ about." he hissed. Sakura shrugged and began to walk away with her hands in her jacket pockets and her short pink hair billowing behind her.

"Fair enough. I'll be seeing you around then, Sasuke."

Itachi watched as Sakura walked away then as Sasuke stormed to the training grounds before going off himself.

Sakura had said all those things about him to the person who hated him the most.

...

She really was something else, wasn't she?

::

Naruto hummed to himself as he ducked under the cloth entrance of Ichiraku's. With a bright smile, he plopped down onto one of the stools. He'd just gotten back from a mission and he was ready to refuel his energy.

"One miso ramen, old man!" he exclaimed with a raised hand, "With extra... eh?"

He was confused when Ayame shuffled up to him with a worried expression, glancing from side to side with her hands clutched to her chest.

"Did you just get back from your mission?" she questioned quietly. He nodded.

"Yeah, I just got back like five minutes ago. Why? Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

She gulped.

"She's back, Naruto."

"Who?"

"Sa-Sakura-chan. She stopped by earlier to say hello..." Ayame said. She gasped as a haunted gaze overtook normally cheerful eyes and as blood drained from his face, making him as white as a sheet.

"Not-Not our Sakura-chan." he tried, "Come on, she- six years ago-it-"

But the serious face Ayame pulled told him different. Trembling, he slipped off the stool and turned around to exit the shop. He ran right into his teammate.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, Sakura-chan, she's-!"

"She's at the Hokage Monument. Or she was heading there when I last saw her." he informed. Naruto tore past him, running down the road and avoiding the people as quickly as he could. She was back? No. It wasn't true.

Sakura-chan?

Their Sakura-chan?

By all the heavens he wanted it so and desperately hoped this wasn't a cruel trick the world decided to play on him. As he passed citizens on the street, he caught snippets of their conversation. It seemed like he was the last one to know.

"Haruno Sakura?"

"What?! That traitor-"

"No way, you're lying!"

"She's-"

"But-"

"How-"

"Otokage?!"

Naruto leapt onto the rooftops and made his hasty path to the other end of Konoha. He was frantic as he tumbled onto the rock formation, twisting his head left and right in a frenzy, just trying to pinpoint her. He was gasping for air when he turned and finally saw a woman with pink hair leaning against the railing that overlooked the village. When he stepped closer, she turned around.

His chest flooded with relief. Naruto didn't know whether to cry or gather her up in his arms like he wanted to. But he couldn't stop the thread of anger that was slowly climbing up his chest, wriggling to his heart and constricting it with its hot iron touch.

"Sakura-chan... what the _hell_?!"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. This was why she wanted to visit him last. He would be the hardest one to talk to and the one she probably couldn't keep her bearings in front of. That, an she couldn't stand staring into his betrayed blue eyes.

"I..."

"You left Konoha without saying _anything_! You disappeared! Like you never existed! What were you thinking? Sasuke had his reason, but you just left out of the blue! Just like that! You-You died! I swear I saw your dead body and then we buried you! We buried you six years ago!"

Sakura's jaw tightened.

"Did you compare me to Sasuke?" she asked. Naruto's eyes flew wide.

"Did you not hear the words I just said?! You _**died**_! You completely cut your losses for no reason whatsoever and abandoned Konoha. To what- To become the leader of the enemy? And all you can focus on is being compared to Sasuke?!" he cried. Both his hands came up to grab at his hair.

"You had no reason to leave! None! And you left without saying a single goodbye!"

He didn't realize how much he was riling her up. Sasuke had a reason but she didn't? His leaving was validated and hers wasn't because she didn't want to tell them face to face that she wanted to go and never come back?

"What was it, Sakura-chan?" he exclaimed, "What could you have possibly done that made you-"

"I was NO ONE!" she seethed. Naruto shut his mouth and took a few steps backward.

"Wh-What?"

"Sasuke was the rookie and you were dead last, but it _worked_. It always had! You two had always been so strong and so talented that one day, everyone knew the both of you would become something great! And there I was. In your shadows. _'Work harder, Sakura.' 'Do better, Sakura.' 'Why are you so annoying?' 'Why are you so weak?' 'You're not shinobi material.' 'Just having book smarts won't get you far.' 'Why don't you try?'_ But I was trying! I was but nobody saw it!"

Naruto froze.

"I get it, you know? I was this little fangirl in the beginning, but once I saw how much you two were growing, and I wanted to do the same. But I was average and I knew I always would be. I don't have the sharingan. I don't have a goal I would spend my life working for. I don't have a godfather that would take me under his wing and teach me the prophecy I was meant to fulfill. And I certainly don't have Konoha at my back, believing that I would save the world. I'm not an avenger. I'm not a hero. I'm just a background character in both your stories."

Sakura turned around, gazing down at the Akatsuki ring on her finger.

"Then Kabuto came and offered me a chance to be the person I always wanted to be. Someone that mattered. I was going to refuse at first, but then I started to think... in ten years, where would I be? Sasuke was going to redeem the honor of his clan and you would be on your way to being Hokage. I was sure of it. And me?" she chuckled sadly, "All I was going to do was be happy for you. While you two would become legends, I'd probably still be at the hospital as a medic- maybe one of the best! But I would still be _just_ me. I would still be _just_ Haruno Sakura."

Naruto couldn't speak. He couldn't move his mouth, nor force words through his lips. All these years... he never noticed? How had he never noticed? She was his most precious person yet he couldn't see her suffering.

"In the beginning, no one had faith in me. Even I didn't have faith in me. What was I going to do? How was I going to bring Otogakure to a glory its never seen before? It seemed impossible."

She turned around again, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"But I did it. I built up a shinobi village, gained allies, even expanded the country! I convinced each of the Akatsuki to join me! What kind of madman would try and do something like that? I became someone sixteen year old me would be proud of. I finally made a story of my own by becoming the Shodai Hokage. Finally, after so long, the world sees me how I've always wanted them to. _Eight years_. Eight years and I finally became a _somebody_."

"But, Sakura-chan..." Naruto croaked, finding his voice at last, "T-To me... to Ino, K-Kakashi-sensei, Baa-chan... always... you've b-been somebody. Always."

She gave him a small smile, a couple of tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Was I?"

Her eyes were forlorn and empty. It Naruto see the helplessness and the loss in them, making his own heart break at the mere sight of her.

"Where were all of you when I needed to hear that?"

Sakura glanced over the Hokage Monument, taking in the beauty of the place she once called home.

"... Kabuto and Kakuzu will be wondering where I am. I should be going." she said. She hastily wiped at her eyes and made way towards the stairs. Naruto looked at her with an expression filled with nothing but unadulterated remorse.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm so, so sorry."

 _I'm sorry I wasn't there for you._

Sakura shook her head.

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I left on my own free will, and it was my fault for not saying goodbye."

 _It wasn't that you weren't there for me. It was that you and Sasuke were so far away that I couldn't reach you._

"But Naruto..."

He looked at her.

"...Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

She smiled- a genuine one. One that lit up the night sky like golden fireworks.

"I love all of you, and I miss all of you, I really do. But in Otogakure, I've gained a happiness that I couldn't seem to find before. The people look up to me. They respect me. They _need_ me. And maybe that's the difference between here and there." she said. Sakura glanced down the stairs a second time before turning back around, walking towards Naruto and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. She felt his muscles tense up for a long while then grinned when he regained his bearings and returned the hug full force, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"No, I'm wrong. It wasn't goodbye I was supposed to say."

She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"It was thank you. For everything you've ever done for me."

Sakura felt the fabric of her collar grow damp.

::

"You two are heading to a bar?!"

She managed to bump into Kakuzu and Kabuto on her way down from the monument. They had been clarifying some things for the Hokage before they decided to go and take a break. Sakura was thoroughly surprised with the development. Kabuto never drank, and as far as she knew, Kakuzu didn't either.

"Before going to Kakashi-sama, I spent two hours arguing with Hidan about which color would match his suit better." Kabuto grimaced, "Now I believe that the whole thing isn't a joke, but I hate him for making me pick between light blue and powder blue. They're both such good colors."

Sakura's face scrunched up in disdain.

"They're both the same!"

"Are you colorblind?" Kakuzu asked. She threw her hands up in defeat.

"That's it. I give up. You're all hopelessly obsessed with shades and are complete, utter nerds for it." she teased, "And I suppose I'll see the both of you later on."

Kabuto eyed her curiously.

"You're passing up drinks? Kisame would be ashamed." he said. Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly at them.

"I'm classy enough to not wanted to take a drink at noon, thank you very much. I'll wait 'till three. Besides..."

She looked to the side, observing the people and the sights of the village.

"... we're leaving tomorrow. I'd like to walk around a little more before we do." she replied. Kabuto nodded and raised a hand in goodbye before he and Kakuzu continued their trek to the nearest barely-known bar. Sakura took off in the opposite direction herself.

Yeah, they were going to leave tomorrow and the Exchange Program was going to be fulfilled next week. This was probably going to be the last time she'd be in Konoha for a long while and she wanted to relish the feeling of this place before going back home.

Huh... home.

What a funny word.

As she strolled down the streets, she saw someone just a little ways ahead of her. She squinted her eyes.

"Itachi-san?"

He stopped and turned his head. Sakura's face lit up as she picked up the pace to catch up to him. She was truly delighted when he waited for her.

"Are you out on your break?" she asked.

"I have yet to begin my shift. My first case is at two." he answered. They fell into step with each other, going who knows where.

"I see. Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Sakura said. He glanced down at her.

"Hm?"

"Are you going to Hidan and Marisu's wedding?" she questioned. He stopped again to regard her with a perfectly blank and honest face.

"I thought that was a joke."

"Not you too!"

Hidan getting married was a notion he never thought possible. But it was happening. They apparently had dated these last three years, again, with everyone thinking that it really was a joke. It was Hidan after all. And to think he'd be able to snag the Chief of Medicine who was known for her outstanding iron-fist knowledge in the medical community.

Though aside from that, he let his thoughts meander back to the woman to his right. Itachi had an inkling to what she had to go through as she encountered each of the people she left behind and had to explain herself to. Their reactions hadn't been pretty, he imagined, and she had to keep her front up through all of that. He was amazed that she had been able to keep her calm and cheeriness this much after everything she'd done in the past and the effort she made to encounter them.

She was such a strong person to confront so many people when he couldn't even confront his own brother.

But it's not like he was going to tell her that.

"Sakura-sama." he said, eyes sliding over to her. Sakura looked up at him with a smile.

"Yes, Itachi-san?"

"... Could I accompany you to the wedding?" he questioned, "If you aren't already going with someone, that is."

A dazzling grin crossed her face, making him pause then quickly recollect himself.

"That'd be fantastic!"

And so they walked, Itachi forgetting his sorrows and Sakura her mistakes. Just this once; for the moment they had side by side.

 _ **:: END ::**_

 **\- ANNOUNCEMENT -**

 _ **1.)**_ **SEQUEL:** "Shinobi" (Coming Soon)

 _(A collection of short-ish chapters almost immediately following the ending)_

They were shinobi: machines trained from childhood to kill or be killed. They were experienced soldiers; tools even. And that's why you can't blame them for being idiots in everything else.

"I KNEW it! I knew you had the hots for her!"

"I've seen cooked fish before. That's charcoal. I'm sorry that you're culinarily disabled."

"And you're surprised that your son gets a heart attack when you leave your arm in the living room."

"I don't care! We're watching the entire fourth season of Kunoichi Diaries and you're going to learn whether you like it or not!"


End file.
